It’s not every day that Mahesh Bhatt hosts a chat show. Then again, it’s not every day that an urgent show comes his way. Within seconds of getting on a call, the filmmaker, succinctly yet philosophically, explained what drew him to the SonyLIV show. “When the house is on fire, you don’t debate; you bring water. Pehchaan is that water, because you know where the world is right now,” he stated.

Directed by Suhrita Das and produced by Vinay Bhardwaj, the unscripted series features Bhatt in conversation with 13 individuals from the Sikh community, who dedicated their lives to seva. To the host, it’s notable that the chat show’s subjects don’t preach their truth, but practice it. “They have drawn strength from their faith and translated it into action. We’re becoming a sound-byte society and we think we can solve the world’s problems just by talking, tweeting, or putting our ideas on Instagram. These individuals [on the show] are unsung and not seeking accolades. Today, when division is growing by the hour, Pehchaan speaks about connection.”