From Cricket All-Rounder to 9-Time National Award Winner: Vishal Bhardwaj's Journey

• Vishal Bhardwaj, a celebrated Bollywood director, was initially a talented cricket all-rounder and leg-spinner, even gaining admission to Hindu College through the sports quota.
• National cricket selector Dilip Vengsarkar once remarked that Bhardwaj becoming a musician was a "big loss for Indian cricket."
• Before directing, Bhardwaj worked as a music composer for 7-8 films, with his wife Rekha Bhardwaj also being a renowned singer.
• His career shifted to filmmaking after his music composing career began to falter, inspired by films like "Pulp Fiction."
• Bhardwaj has won a total of 9 National Awards for his work in music direction (Maachis, Godmother) and filmmaking (Haider), and is now returning with the crime-thriller "O Romeo" starring Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, and Farida Jalal.

Why It Matters: Vishal Bhardwaj transitioned from a promising cricketer and music composer to a 9-time National Award-winning filmmaker.