Bollywood cannot exist without controversies, and occasionally we get to see one or more celebrities succumb to them. For his outspoken remarks, his relationship with his daughter Pooja Bhatt, and his reported liaisons with younger women, controversial filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt grabbed headlines.
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When Pakistani actress Meera claimed that the director was possessive of her in 2011, the filmmaker gained notoriety. She even charged Mahesh with hitting her and abusing her physically. In the movie Nazar, the two collaborated. In response to her charges, the director had also spoken up.
Mahesh Bhatt remarked in a chat with ETimes, “I have slapped her? First of all, Meera is a unique phenomenon. She is a South Asian Treasure. She’s bizarre and innocent at the same time. She’s smart and then completely childlike the next instant. So you cannot feel outraged by her utterances and feel wrong wronged. What Meera needs more than anything at the moment is a parental gaze, which screams out for an urgent need to rescue her from herself. Her life is screaming out for it. She has an extraordinary talent for getting herself into equations where everyone who is her friend turns hostile towards her. Despite all the strange utterances that have come from her from time to time, I have refused to turn into her enemy.”
In reaction to Meera's statement, Mahesh Bhatt replied, “Logon ne bahut kuch likha is bare mein, aur kaha bhi, but main ab chup nahin rahoongi. Aaj main sach bolna chahti hun. It was not my decision to stop doing films, but I was asked to leave India by Maheshji. He did not like my being famous and interacting with other directors. Once, we had a fight, and then he apologized to me. After that, Mahesh told me that if I cannot handle your problems now, then it would be better if you go back to Pakistan. I went. But when I wanted to come back, they did not let me come. Now there was no hope left for me to enter Bollywood. He blocked all my paths.”
The Pakistani actress said, “Mujhe laga woh jealous thay mujhse jab main famous ho rahi thi. Woh nahin chahte thay ki main kisi aur director ke saath kaam karun. I got offers from big directors like Ram Gopal Varma, Mani Ratnam, Subhash Ghai and so on. He didn`t appreciate it at all. He wanted me to only stick to his banner. One night, I had to meet Subhash Ghai at a hotel. Jab maine Maheshji ko kaha, toh woh bahut furious hue aur mujh par bahut chillaye, aur unhone mujhe do teen thappad bhi mare.”
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Meera further disclosed that Mahesh Bhatt had previously called her special and conveyed his affection for her. “Tum mein aur Pooja mein koi farak nahin hai… Aur phir kuch der baad kahte ki main tumhe kaafi chahta hun aur tum mere liye bahut special ho. It was difficult for me to tell what exactly he wanted from me,” she said.