Satyajit Bhatkal

Satyajit Bhatkal was born and raised in Mumbai. Son of Laila, a teacher working with children with special needs and Ramdas a leading publisher, Satyajit practiced law for over a decade. As a student and as a young lawyer, Satyajit was actively involved in important social and political causes and wrote extensively on them. His experiences as an activist and as a lawyer led him to believe he had a story to tell and in his mid-thirties he quit law to work in film and television. Satyajit was a part of the core production team of the landmark Hindi film, Lagaan and also directed India's first theatrically released documentary, 'Chale Chalo'. The English cut of that film, entitled 'Madness in the Desert' won a National Award and was also selected for the Locarno Film Festival. The films dealt with the human drama and struggle which made the film Lagaan possible. Satyajit also wrote 'The Spirit of Lagaan', one of the bestsellers of 2003, which was translated into three Indian languages. Satyajit then wrote and directed 'Bombay Lawyers', a critically acclaimed mini-series, which dealt with important social issues in the format of fictionalized courtroom drama. This was broadcast by NDTV India in 2007. Satyajit then co-wrote and directed 'Zokkomon', produced by the Walt Disney Company and which released in 2011. In 2010, actor-producer-director Aamir Khan invited Satyajit to develop a television show on social issues. Satyajit put together a small team including long time collaborators Lancy Fernandes and his wife Svati and over a period of several months, Satyamev Jayate was created. Telecast and watched all over the world, the show has seen 3 seasons and 25 episodes so far. Satyajit lives in Mumbai with his wife Svati and children Nayantara and Nishant.