Sooraj Barjatya

Sooraj R. Barjatya
Native name	सूरज राजकुमार बड़जात्या
Born	(1964-02-22) 22 February 1964 Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Ethnicity	Marwari
Occupation	Assistant Director Producer Director Director of Rajshri Productions
Spouse(s)	Vineeta Barjatya (1986–present)
Children	Devaansh Barjatya (b.1990) Avnish Barjatya (b.1993) Eesha Barjatya (b.1998)
Parent(s)	Raj Kumar Barjatya
Relatives	Kavita K. Barjatya (Cousin)

Sooraj R. Barjatya (born 22 February 1964) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and distributor, predominantly working in Hindi Cinema. Sooraj Barjatya began his career as an assistant director to Mahesh Bhatt. He made his directorial debut with the cult classic Maine Pyar Kiya in 1989, a romantic musical film about friendship.

Barjatya followed it with the box-office hit and trend setter Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!. Considered by critics and Barjatya himself as his best work to date, the film became one of the biggest Bollywood hits in the overseas market and at the domestic box office. In 1999, Barjatya directed the commercially and critically successful cult film Hum Saath-Saath Hain. In 2006, Barjatya directed and produced the box-office hit and trend setter Vivah, which established Shahid Kapoor as the leading actor in Bollywood. He is the current chairman of India's 67-year-old multi-national film, media and entertainment conglomerate, Rajshri Productions.

His films are produced under the Rajshri Productions banner which was founded in 1947 by his late grandfather Tarachand Barjatya. Barjatya has directed and produced some of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time and has produced three other films that have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of more than ₹2 billion (US$29 million).

Early life

Sooraj Barjatya was born in a Marwari family^[1] in Mumbai. He attended St. Mary's School, Mumbai & The Scindia School in Gwalior. Encouraged by his paternal grandfather, Tarachand Barjatya, he directed his first film Maine Pyar Kiya for Rajshri at the young age of 24. He got married to Vineeta Barjatya in 1986 and the couple have three children.He has a restaurant in Bandra named spice and sweet.

Career

He made his directorial debut with Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) starring Salman Khan which was a huge box office hit and launched both his and Salman's careers. The film also won him the Most Sensational Debut of the Year award.^[2]

He teamed up with Salman again for Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) which became one of the highest all-time blockbusters and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United (1999) which was a huge hit as well.^[3]

His fourth film was Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon starring Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan and his last film was Vivah (2006) starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, which has proved to be one of the biggest blockbusters in his career. He has named the lead actor of all his movies 'Prem'.^[4]

He is a trendsetter and ushered in an era of family based themes in Indian cinema. He had said in an interview that "Ours was a joint Marwari family and I grew up witnessing grand functions and wedding ceremonies in the family. The opulence shown in my films is based on my impressions as a child".^[1]

Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Sooraj Barjatya's two consecutive blockbusters, are still placed among the top ten most successful films of the last 80 years.

Vivah proved to be one of the biggest grossers of 2006, having celebrated a silver jubilee run at 25 centers across the country. The film was nominated for more than 15 awards.

In 2015, starring Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor, his film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo was released which was a commercial succes. It was released in diwali celebrations.

Filmography

References

External links

• Sooraj R. Barjatya at the Internet Movie Database