Mumbai, June 15 (IANS) Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt recalled the great advice he received from legendary filmmaker Raj Khosla, which stayed with him over the years.

Stressing the importance of how starting from nothing should be seen as an advantage and not a disadvantage, the ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’ maker had told Bhatt, “Zero is a great figure to begin with.”

Khosla had pointed out that starting from nothing should never be viewed as a disadvantage. On the contrary, it should be seen as the foundation upon which every meaningful journey can be built.

Speaking to author, screenwriter, and director Suhrita Das at the special event “In Search of Truth”, Bhatt also reflected on his rebellious childhood.

Bhatt said that during his younger days, all he wanted was to stand apart from everyone else, but age and experience eventually made him realize the importance of belonging and connecting with others.

“I wanted to stand out when I was young. Today, I want to connect,” Bhatt shared.

The ‘Arth’ maker also revisited a fond memory from his childhood with his mother. He shared that he used to place fireflies in his mother’s hair in an attempt to bring a smile to her face during a difficult moment.

Putting forth his views on creativity, Bhatt observed that great art is often a result of emotional vulnerability and heartbreak. He said that the greatest resource for an artist is not his technical skill, but having the courage to engage honestly with life.

During the heartfelt conversation, Bhatt urged all to fully embrace the moment present in front of them instead of waiting for a milestone to be happy.

“We spend our lives waiting. Waiting for success, waiting for certainty, waiting for the next achievement. But life is not somewhere ahead. Life is here, in this breath, in this conversation, in this moment,” he concluded.

–IANS

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