Mahesh Bhatt recalls how actor Vinod Khanna approached him

• In the 1970s, Mahesh Bhatt made a few unsuccessful films.
• Vinod Khanna had called him back to deliver a message from Rajneesh.
• Mahesh last helmed a movie in 2020 with Sadak 2.

In the 1970s, Mahesh Bhatt made a few unsuccessful films in his early career as a director. The director sought spiritual instruction while searching for direction in his life and visited Bhagwan Rajneesh (Oshoashram )’s in Pune. Actor Vinod Khanna joined him in doing likewise. But, Mahesh soon decided that he was being a hypocrite and quit.

On Arbaaz Khan’s television programme The Invincibles, the director recalled how Vinod Khanna had called him back to deliver a message from Rajneesh. Mahesh did not want to return to that way of life, despite the actor’s vain attempts to persuade him that Rajneesh, whom they referred to as Bhagwan, was very angry and wanted him to do so.

Mahesh told Arbaaz, “I remember Vinod calling me to Filmistan [Studios], I’ve got something very important to talk to you. He said, ‘Bhagwan is very angry with you.’ I said why. ‘You broke the mala and put it in the commode.’ I said, ‘I broke it and put it there. It’s worthless. I’m a damn fool, it’s a dog collar.” ‘No, no, he says, ask Mahesh to bring back the mala and give it to me in person, otherwise.. (and Vinod dropped his voice) he will destroy you.'”

Despite the fact that this had no effect on their friendship, the director admitted that he saw Rajneesh as taking advantage of Vinod by complimenting and criticising him.  “Rajneesh told Vinod, ‘I had worked so hard on Mahesh. He perhaps did not have in him what you have.’ So I said, ‘Oh my god, he’s using you against me. He’s telling you you’re something special.’ I’m too unimportant. I was a nobody at that time”.

Mahesh ultimately sat down with Rajneesh for another arduous 1.5 hours many years later. Yet despite his best efforts to win him back, the director claimed he was no longer believing him. Mahesh remarked, “I was not the same. He was not the same. But when I got up, I discovered that he was not responsible for anything. I wanted to hear things that he told me. He was an entertainer, a wordsmith and a very successful, charismatic man. He provided comfort to people for a certain time. It became a kind of spiritual drug. Gurus have a social role to play, so do prostitutes. They fulfil some social need in people.”

Mahesh last helmed a movie in 2020 with Sadak 2, but he is credited with writing the screenplays for a number of forthcoming movies, including Jism 3 and Awarapan 2.

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