Bigg Boss OTT 2: When Pooja Bhatt sparked controversy for kissing father Mahesh Bhatt, alcohol addiction and more

Pooja Bhatt’s entry in Bigg Boss OTT 2 as a contestant surprised many. In Week 1 of the show, however, the actress stood out from the rest as she openly talked about some of the controversies that have been attached to her name including her broken marriage and alcohol addiction. Here’s taking a look at some of them…

Pooja Bhatt is director Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter from his first marriage with Kiran Bhatt. The duo shared a lip-lock for the cover of a magazine in the 80s which scandalised many. In the photo, Pooja was seen sitting on Mahesh’s lap. It created quite a furore.

To cover up the controversy created by the magazine cover, Mahesh Bhatt held a press conference. But it caused more damage after he said, “If Pooja had not been my daughter, I would have married her.”

Alia Bhatt, who is Pooja Bhatt’s half-sister, appeared on Koffee With Karan wherein she revealed that the worst rumour she had heard about herself was that she is the daughter of Mahesh and Pooja Bhatt.

Before she tied the knot in 2003, Pooja Bhatt was in a relationship with Ranvir Shorey who accused her of being abusive and an alcoholic. He also blamed the Bhatts in a tweet for targeting him with their PR campaigns.

Pooja Bhatt was married to Manish Makhija for over a decade when they called it quits. Speaking about it on Bigg Boss OTT 2, Pooja said, “I was married for almost 11 years then we decided that something was not right. We should not live a lie and it is not a dress rehearsal. You get one chance in life. He was part of the entertainment industry. He is a very good human being.”

When Pooja was quizzed about not having any kids in her long marriage, she categorically stated that she didn’t want to have them back then. “I love kids but at that point I didn’t want them. I couldn’t lie at the risk of never meeting somebody.”

Pooja never shied away from drinking publicly or talking about it openly. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror about her alcohol addiction, she had said, “I was born to a man who has never done anything in half-measure and I inherited that. So when I drank, I drank copiously. Your appetite increases even as the alcohol does terrible things to your body, clutters your mind and colours your judgement of the people you’re hanging out with.”

Pooja, who quit drinking in December, 2016, shared on the show, “I realised I had a drinking problem. That is why I openly let everyone know about my addiction and how I have decided to quit drinking. Because addiction and recovery hindustan mein mard ki jageer hai. Society gives license to men that they can speak up about being addicted to alcohol and recover from it. However, women don’t openly drink and so they don’t openly recover. I used to drink openly so when I thought of recovering from alcoholism I realised that why should I recover in the closet?”

Karisma was just 16 when she decided to address Pooja Bhatt’s claims of her mother Babita trying to control her life. Pooja went about badmouthing Karisma but the latter put a full stop to it by blasting Pooja in an interview. The Raja Hindustani actress shared that she did not understand the problem Pooja had with her but she wanted her to keep her mouth shut.