Harman Baweja recalls the time his father taught him about direction as 'Diljale' clocks 30

Harman was just 15 when he visited the sets of *Diljale*, which was directed by his father. The young Harman found himself curious about the director’s role after watching various departments work on the film, each with their own responsibilities.

At the time, Saroj Khan was choreographing the film, while Veeru Devgan was handling its action sequences. With so many technicians and artists seemingly focused on specific aspects of the production, Harman was puzzled about what exactly his father was doing on set.

When he asked Harry Baweja about his role, the filmmaker used the moment to explain what directing a film truly involves. Rather than simply managing one department, he told his son that a director has to bring together the work of every department and shape it according to a single creative vision.

Recalling that conversation years later, Harman said his father explained that filmmaking ultimately comes down to storytelling through the audiovisual medium.

“He just looked at me and said, ‘You're absolutely right.’ He told me the job of a director is to effectively tell and narrate a story in the audiovisual medium. These HODs, these technicians, these crews — they're a plethora of talent, but eventually they all have to fall into the vision of what the director wants to say,” he said.

For Harman, observing the filmmaking process from such a young age became an important part of his own creative journey. Being able to watch his father work alongside established actors, choreographers and technicians gave him an early understanding of how the different elements of a film come together.

“Today, I feel so blessed that I had the chance to witness my father and all these great actors, technicians and choreographers doing their magic. Being around them at that age and seeing how a film comes together has definitely helped me become a better filmmaker. I carry those learnings with me as I continue to build my own journey and carry forward my father's legacy,” he shared.

*Diljale*, which marked an important chapter in Harry Baweja’s filmmaking career, has now completed three decades since its release. For Harman, the film’s anniversary has also provided an opportunity to revisit one of the earliest experiences that shaped his understanding of direction and filmmaking.