Director reveals mother’s electric shock treatment

Asif Kapadia, the Bafta-winning director, has revealed how his schizophrenic mother was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for electric shock treatment.

The filmmaker behind the documentaries Amy, Senna and Diego Maradona, was born in London to an Indian Muslim-British family.

During an appearance on Desert Island Discs (on BBC Radio 4 today at 11.15am) he revealed: “While my GCSEs were going on, at the same time my mum was in a mental hospital, having electric shock treatment … it made me realise I really couldn’t care less about exams. I don’t want to be judged on one day if I have got something going on at home. So I made a pact to myself that I’m never going to sit another exam ever again – and I never have.” is a member of the Independent

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