In 1987 Mukesh Bhatt turned producer when he set up his own banner, "Vishesh Films", naming it after his son Vishesh Bhatt. He went on to become one of the most recognised banners of the Indian film industry in the coming decade, giving both serious productions (along with his brother Mahesh who directed these films) – like
Daddy (1989), launching his niece
Pooja Bhatt as a movie actress, — as well as commercial romantic hits like
Kabza (1987),
Aashiqui (1990) and
Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), in which he cast Pooja with actor
Aamir Khan. He next produced
Sadak (1991), which remains his highest grossing work, also directed by his brother Mahesh Bhatt. He won critical acclaim for
Sir (1993), which saw Pooja Bhatt act with Naseeruddin Shah along with the hit
Criminal (1995). He also produced the film
Tadipaar (1993). Following this, he produced dramas like
Dastak (1996), the debut film of
Miss Universe 1994-turned-actress
Sushmita Sen, and
Tamanna (1997). In 1998 his brother Mahesh Bhatt directed his last directorial venture
Zakhm (1998) returned to the
censor board because of right-wing pressure critical of its references to the
Mumbai riots of 1993 and joined as full-time creative head of Vishesh Films. Thereafter, the Bhatt brothers joined hands and churned out stories and screenplays for over twenty films, many of which were box-office successes, like
Dushman (1998),
Raaz (2002),
Murder (2004),
Gangster (2006),
Woh Lamhe (2006),
Murder 2 (2011),
Jism 2 (2012) and
Murder 3 (2013). Vishesh Films is known for producing small-budgeted commercially successful films with great music. They produced thrillers like
Criminal (1994),
Ghulam (1998),
Raaz (2002),
Murder (2004),
Zeher (2005), and
Gangster (2006), all of which were major commercial successes. They further produced
Zeher (2005),
Awarapan (2007), and
Jannat (2008), all starring
Emraan Hashmi. While the first two were moderate successes, the latter emerged as a super hit. They then began producing quasi-sequels and have given the maximum number of franchises to Indian cinema. However, a common criticism of the films produced under the banner has been that the films are unofficial adaptations and rip-offs of many Hollywood and South Korean films. For 30 years, Mukesh along with his brother, Mahesh, produced films under the production house. However owing to differences between the brothers, Mukesh officially took over Vishesh Films and in May 2021, it was publicly announced that Mahesh Bhatt was no more associated with the production house. ==Filmography==