Sooraj R. Barjatya is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and distributor, predominantly working in Hindi cinema. He is the current chairman of India's 71-year-old multi-national film, media and entertainment conglomerate, Rajshri Productions. His films are produced under the Rajshri Productions banner, which was founded in 1947 by his late grandfather Tarachand Barjatya. Barjatya has directed and produced some of the highest-grossing Bollywood films and has produced three other films that have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of more than. Barjatya began his career as an assistant director to Mahesh Bhatt. He made his directorial debut with the 1989 filmMaine Pyar Kiya, a romanticmusical film about friendship. He followed it with the film Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, which became one of the most commercially successful Bollywood films worldwide at the time. This was produced by his father Rajkumar Barjatya for Rajshri Productions. In 1999, Barjatya directed the commercially and critically successful film . In 2006, Barjatya directed and produced Vivah, which established Shahid Kapoor as a leading actor in Bollywood. In 2015, the film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, again written and directed by him, was one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
Early life
Sooraj Barjatya was born in a MarwariJain family in Mumbai. He attended St. Mary's School, Mumbai and The Scindia School in Gwalior. Encouraged by his paternal grandfather, Tarachand Barjatya, he directed his first film Maine Pyar Kiya for Rajshri at the young age of 24. He married Vineeta Barjatya in 1986 and the couple have three children.
Career
He made his directorial debut with Maine Pyar Kiya starring Salman Khan which was financially successful and launched both his and Salman's careers. The film also won him the Most Sensational Debut of the Year award. He teamed up with Salman again for Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! which became one of the highest-grossing films of all time and which was successful as well. His fourth film was Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon starring Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan which was his first critical and commercial failure and his last film was Vivah starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, which has proved to be one of the most successful films in his career. He has named the lead actor of all his movies 'Prem'. He had said in an interview that "Ours was a joint Marwari family and I grew up witnessing grand functions and wedding ceremonies in the family. The opulence shown in my films is based on my impressions as a child". Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Sooraj Barjatya's two consecutive films, are still placed among the top ten most successful films of the last 80 years. Vivah proved to be one of the biggest grossers of 2006, having celebrated a silver jubileerun at 25 centers across the country. The film was nominated for more than 15 awards.
