The Man with the Midas touch, Sooraj R. Barjatya, has written and directed some of the biggest hits that Indian Cinema has witnessed including Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun.
Encouraged by his grandfather Tarachand Barjatya, he directed his first film for Rajshri Productions at the young age of 24. At a time when video piracy and satellite TV threatened the survival of the Indian film industry, his films instilled a new lease of life by bringing viewers back to cinema halls.
Sooraj went on to make more family dramas. With Hum Saath Saath Saath Hai, which was more like a modern day Ramayana with an ensemble of the top stars including Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Karishma Kapoor, Tabu, Sonali Bhendre and Neelam, the movie was a runaway success.
But Indian Cinema has sure come of age, and his next venture, Main Prem Ki Deewane Ho which took almost two years to complete and was again based on family affairs, arrange marriages et al, was not received with the same enthuse by the audience, who had moved on from enjoying this kind of cinema. The movie failed miserably at the box office.
