Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has opened up about her father Mahesh Bhatt’s decision to convert to Islam before marrying actor Soni Razdan in 1986, explaining the unconventional reason behind the move and her family’s unique dynamic .
‘He’d never part ways with my mother’
In a candid interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel, Pooja revealed that Mahesh Bhatt chose to convert to Islam not out of religious conviction, but as a legal measure to protect his first marriage. When he tied the knot with Soni, he converted so that he did not have to divorce his first wife, Kiran Bhatt .
“He’d never part ways with my mother,” Pooja stated firmly. “I know one thing about my father: once he holds your hands, whoever you are, he doesn’t let go. That’s applicable to the women in his life, people he’s worked with, and people whom he’s groomed and launched. He’s there. He’s reliable” .
No villains in this love story
Pooja, the eldest child from Mahesh Bhatt’s first marriage to Kiran Bhatt (also known as Lorraine Bright), has consistently defended her father’s honesty over maintaining a false front for society’s sake .
“Would I rather have a father who acknowledges he’s human, that there’s been a shift in his affection, and who moves out of the house to stand by the woman he’s met? Or would I prefer a father who stays under the same roof as my mother for society’s sake, has 200 affairs outside, but there’s an air of normalcy and conspiracy of silence maintained by everybody?” she asked .
Pooja emphasized that both her parents knew their relationship was over. “She forgave him years ago otherwise they wouldn’t have reached where they are. Who’s the villain? Is Soni the villain? Is Parveen Babi the villain? Is Mahesh Bhatt the villain? Is Kiran the villain? Is life the villain? Or circumstances? Is being wretchedly human the villain?” she reflected .
A relationship born on the sets of ‘Saaransh’
Mahesh Bhatt met Soni Razdan on the sets of his 1984 family drama ‘Saaransh’, in which she played a pivotal role. According to Pooja, Soni would frequent her parents’ house even before the relationship began because of their professional collaboration .
When the relationship bloomed, Mahesh Bhatt decided to give it a name rather than keep it hidden. He personally informed Pooja about his decision one night, waking her up to share the news. “He said, ‘I have to let you know that I have met this lady, and I am going to be moving out. It doesn’t mean that I love you any less, and I will always be there,’” Pooja recalled .
Soni Razdan’s confession of guilt
During the same interview, Pooja also shared a poignant moment when Soni Razdan confessed to carrying guilt about breaking up Mahesh Bhatt’s first marriage. The conversation took place while they were shooting for a film called ‘Love Affair’ in Coonoor .
“She said, ‘Pooja, I too feel so guilty, felt very guilty,’” Pooja recalled.
She responded by reassuring her stepmother. “Soni, you could not have broken up a relationship that was together. There is no space for anybody in a relationship that is solid. Something was lacking, so somebody else could come and find that space,” she told her .
Maintaining decorum and grace
Pooja acknowledged that her mother Kiran Bhatt experienced pain during the separation. However, she noted that her parents always maintained “decorum and grace” with each other and never pitted the children against each other .
In fact, Pooja revealed that her father continues to stand by her mother when needed. “There have been times I’ve fought my mother and my father has taken her side. He’s told me, ‘Listen, please don’t ever think where my priorities lie.’ So, they’ve always been very solid when it came to me. My father moved out, but that’s truly a matter of geography,” she added .
A blended family today
Over the years, the family has healed. Pooja now shares a warm relationship with Soni Razdan and considers Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt an important part of her extended family .
“When I look at my parents today, the nature of love has changed. But they’re one unit,” she said. “If love can be like that, when two people can be there for each other morally through thick and thin — even if the world is on one side and you’re wrong, you can still stand by my side nonetheless” .
