Mahesh Bhatt: Lesser Known facts about the Indian film director who turns 73 on Sep 20

1. The film 'Arth', starring Shabana Azmi and Khulbhushan Kharbanda is a semi-autobiographical film about Mahesh Bhatt and his extra marital affair with the late actress Praveen Babi. The film was the byproduct of his trauma and nervous breakdown, as his marriage was failing.

2. Bhatt is an advisory member of an American non-profit social organization called TeachAids. He advises on strategic outreach efforts in order to draw-in rural and urban population for the initiative.

3. His film 'Aashiqui', is inspired from the events of his personal life. He got married to Kiran Bhatt, at the very early age of 20.

4. Many of Bhatt's films draw inspiration from American cinema. His films such as 'Sangharsh' starring Akshay Kumar and Preity Zinta has drawn inspiration from 'The Silence of the Lambs'. Another of his notable films, 'Criminal' had drawn inspiration from 'The Fugitive'.

5. His film 'Daddy', which marked the acting debut of his daughter Pooja Bhatt, was inspired from his own life. He channeled all his emotions and turned into film. The film revolves around a young girl named Pooja and her father's addiction with alcohol.

6. Bhatt has also directed a few television shows such as 'Kabhie Kabhie' and 'Swabhimaan'.