A fictional film reminding even the greatest of artiste about the real tragedy they are dealing with- that's what happened with ghazal king Jagjit Singh, when the crushing death of his son and the corruption that followed led him to realise the importance of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's film Saaransh. Starring Anupam Kher and Rohini Hattangadi, Saaransh followed the lives of an elderly Maharashtrian couple who have to come to terms with the loss of their only son. The film examined crippling old age anxiety, loneliness, grief and rampant corruption in the system. During a special event to celebrate 40 years of the film, the filmmaker was in conversation with Anupam Kher as they revisited the making of the film, which is Bhatt's one of the most celebrated works. "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 at the event. Indian Express Entertainment is now on WhatsApp Channels. Follow us for the latest news, interviews, reviews, photos and more Jagjit Singh's only son Vivek from his wife Chitra died in a car accident in 1990 when he was just 20. While the singer's music underwent a significant change after the tragedy, his wife left music altogether. Saaransh marked the film debut of Anupam Kher, who played the role of man in his 60s, while the actor was actually just 28-year-old. He went on to work with Bhatt in films like Daddy and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin.
