Meet actress who became star at 19, won National Award at 25, left acting at peak of carrer to become…, sparked controversy for kissing her own…, her name is…

The Bhatts of Bollywood are one of the most well-known families. From the man of the family – Mahesh Bhatt, being a renowned director, to his wife Soni Razdan, a versatile actress, and daughters Pooja Bhatt and Alia Bhatt as famous actresses of Bollywood – the entire Bhatt family is known for their work. While today, Alia is one of the most celebrated actresses in Bollywood, there was a time when her sister Pooja Bhatt was also loved by fans. However, Pooja’s fate had something else in store for her, and she couldn’t continue her stardom for long.

Pooja, who is Alia’s stepsister and the daughter of Mahesh Bhatt and his first wife Lorraine Bright aka Kiran Bhatt, stunned everyone with her bold avatar in the 1980s and 1990s. Pooja made her acting debut at the age of 17 with the film Daddy, directed by her father. Her performance was hailed by the audience, and she was called one of the most flawless actresses in the industry.

Later, Pooja featured in movies like Sadak, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Junoon, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, Chaahat, Tamanna, and many more. Just like that, she topped the charts as one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood in the ’90s. By the age of 19, Pooja Bhatt became a sensation. At the age of 24, she reached the pinnacle of success, and at 25, she started her own production house and made Tamanna. The movie brought her first National Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.

Downfall of Pooja Bhatt

Despite having a promising career, Pooja decided to go behind the lens and focus more on her production company. In 2003, she produced the blockbuster film Jism. Her directorial debut came in 2004 with the film Paap. After this, she made four more movies including Holiday, Dhokha, Kajraare, and Jism 2.

However, it was during a magazine shoot when Pooja Bhatt landed in a controversy for kissing her own father, Mahesh Bhatt. While many may think it was a peck on the cheek, it was a proper lip-to-lip kiss. The shot created a stir among people across the nation because, back in the day, showing full-fledged intimate scenes was considered a big deal. Plus, the relationship between Pooja and Mahesh was that of a father and daughter, and this act garnered major backlash.

Not just that, Mahesh’s statement in the magazine left everyone’s jaws dropped when he said that if Pooja wasn’t his daughter, he would have married her. The matter soon became national news and Pooja received major criticism.

Years later, when Pooja featured on Siddharth Kannan’s show, she spoke about the controversy around the kiss. The former actress regretted the kiss and brushed it off by saying it was a simple kiss shared between a child and a parent.

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