Jagjit Singh related to Saaransh character after losing 20-year-old son, reveals Mahesh Bhatt: ‘I felt that pain in real-life’

Earlier this year, in February, Mahesh Bhatt and Anupam Kher celebrated the 40th anniversary of Saaransh. At the event, Bhatt shared more about Jagjit Singh’s heartbreaking ordeal, recounting how the singer had to resort to bribing junior officers to claim his son’s body. “When the son of Jagjit Singh passed away in a tragic accident, he told me that he had to pay bribe to junior officers get his son’s body and that’s when he understood the importance of Saaransh. That how much a common man struggles, to get the dead body of their own. All these are living reference points for the film,” the filmmaker said.

Saaransh, which marked the debut of Anupam Kher, remains one of Mahesh Bhatt’s most celebrated works. In the film, Kher played the role of an elderly Maharashtrian man living in Mumbai who is forced to come to terms with the loss of his only son, who was also the family’s breadwinner. The film also featured powerful performances by Rohini Hattangadi, Madan Jain, Nilu Phule, Suhas Bhalekar, and Soni Razdan. Saaransh was widely praised by critics for its poignant depiction of grief and resilience.