{
  "id": 8607864,
  "title": "Mahesh Bhatt saw a failed father, so did his son Rahul: ‘Tried to love him, he could’ve tried too’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/mahesh-bhatt-saw-a-failed-father-so-did-his-son-rahul-tried-to-love",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T04:15:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/mahesh-bhatt-rahul-bhatt-failed-father-tried-to-love-him-he-couldve-tried-too-10883546/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mahesh Bhatt, a filmmaker who began his career in the 1970s, found his way into the spotlight in the 1980s with the semi-autobiographical film Arth, which delved into his troubled marriage and extramarital affair. Throughout his career, Mahesh frequently drew inspiration from his own life experiences, creating semi-autobiographical films. However, the examination of his relationship with his son, Rahul Bhatt, remained limited to his perspective as a son, never portrayed on celluloid.\n\nRahul Bhatt, born towards the end of Mahesh Bhatt's marriage with his first wife in the early 1980s, often referred to himself as a \"super bastard child.\" He believed that despite being legally married to his mother, Mahesh never fulfilled the paternal responsibilities that come with having a child. Growing up, Rahul felt ignored by his father and was burdened with the perception that his parents' marriage was unstable. Despite their emotional differences, Mahesh recognized that they shared a common experience of growing up without a father.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul Bhatt felt ignored and perceived his parents' marriage as unstable.",
    "Mahesh Bhatt acknowledged shared experience of growing up without a father with his son Rahul."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Mahesh Bhatt's reflection on his own failed fatherhood reveals a deeper connection with his son Rahul, who felt similarly abandoned by his father, highlighting a pattern of paternal neglect.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}