Pooja Bhatt Became A Star At 19, Quit Acting At 24, Sparked Controversy For Kissing Dad Mahesh Bhatt

The multi-talented daughter of Mahesh Bhatt and Lorraine Bright, Pooja Bhatt, stunned everyone with her bold avatar in the 1980s and 1990s. She made her acting debut at the age of 17 with the film, Daddy, directed by her father. She was flawless in her debut film and was called as the next big thing in Bollywood.

Later, with films like Sadak, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Junoon, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, Chaahat, Tamanna, and many more, Pooja had become one of the most loved Bollywood actresses of the 90s. Just like her father, Pooja is loved for her honest opinions and taking a stand for what is right. The actress transitioned behind the camera during the peak of her career.

Pooja Bhatt won her National Award at the age of 25

Pooja was just 17 when she began her acting career. By the age of 19, she had become a superstar, boasting a number of power-packed performances to her credit. At the age of 24, she reached the pinnacle of stardom and achieved everything a newcomer could only dream of. Pooja started her own production house at the age of 25 and made Tamanna. The film got Pooja her first National Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.  

Pooja Bhatt quit acting at the peak of her career

Despite her bright future in acting, Pooja and went behind the camera and focussed on producing and directing films. In 2003, Pooja Bhatt had produced, the blockbuster film, Jism. She made her directorial debut in 2004 with the film, Paap, after which she made four more directorial ventures like Holiday, Dhokha, Kajraare and Jism 2.

Pooja Bhatt is considered one of the most bankable directors in Bollywood and is responsible for shaping the careers of many Bollywood stars. Once, Pooja spoke about leaving behind her stardom as an actress and said that she had come to terms with the fact that her stardom as an actress was over, and she realised it was time to move behind the camera to begin a new phase.

Pooja Bhatt sparked controversy for kissing her father, Mahesh Bhatt

It was during a magazine shoot that Pooja Bhatt kissed her father, Mahesh Bhatt, on the lips. The shot created a stir throughout the nation, as, back in those days, kisses were not even shown on screen. However, it was Mahesh Bhatt's statement in the same magazine that left everyone in shock. He had admitted that if Pooja weren't his daughter, he would have married her. The picture led to many hateful comments about Mahesh and Pooja.

Years later, when Pooja appeared as a guest on Siddharth Kannan’s show, she spoke about the controversy around the kiss. When asked by the host whether she regretted the kiss, the actress denied and said that it was a simple kiss shared between a child and a parent. In her words:

“No, because I see it very simple, and I think that unfortunately jo hota hai, a frozen moment can be represented and misrepresented in anyway. Aur mujhe yaad hai Shah Rukh ne mujhe yeh kaha tha when you have daughters, jab hi aapke bacche chote hai, how often child just say, 'Mummy papa give me a kiss'. And they go this way. Mai ab bhi is umer mein bhi wahi 10 pound ki bacchi hoon for my father. Vo jindagi bher wahi rahege for me."

In 2020, Pooja Bhatt returned to acting with the film, Sadak 2 and was last seen in the web series, Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Also Read: Sanjay Khan, A Hanuman Bhakt, Away From Acting For 22 Years But Has A Net Worth Of Rs. 417 Crore

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)