As the Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial movie ‘Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi’ completed 27 glorious years today, a nostalgic Pooja Bhatt went down the memory lane and shared a very emotional post on her Instagram account. She recalled how ‘O mere Sapno Ke Saudagar’ was shot in the forests of Ooty that were drenched with the fragrance of eucalyptus. She mentioned that the song defined her fairly tale idea of love. Also, She shared a picture from her famous song ‘Galyan Sakhli Sonyachi’ and remembered how she got ready in one of the local houses at Madh Island (Mumbai) where they shot the song as they didn’t have any vanity vans available then.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlGBgHHAYAw/?hl=en&taken-by=poojab1972
Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi still remains one of our favourites. On this occasion here we are sharing some excerpts from the Pooja Bhatt interview with Manju Ramanan on resurfacing from alcohol and being sober for a year and a half and her forthcoming projects.
Didn’t you feel that debuting in Daddy was an unconventional choice?
I am 46 today and I did Daddy when I was 17 years of age. We are still talking about it. Daddy was produced by Doordarshan. It gave me audiences in both multiplexes and theatres. A national carrier promoted the film. Today it has a theatrical adaptation. It has already toured Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Delhi and we are planning a Dubai show as well. No, I am not acting in it. My dad and I are presenting it though.
Is Sadak 2 in the offing?
I met Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) recently where I was interviewing him onstage and he broached the topic with my uncle Mukesh Bhatt and asked me. Sadak 2 is not a remake because the original had some irreplaceable characters. Sadashiv Amrapurkar is no more who played the central role in the film. Sadak 2 will feature me and Sanju but will be us, as we look today. The story moves ahead fromSadak 1 and we have two young actors as well. It should release by the end of 2019.
Which are your forthcoming films?
Apart from Sadak 2, I am acting in a film titled City of Death where I play a 46-year-old Anglo Indian alcoholic. It is a crime of passion story and I am playing my age. Also given my story of being sober, this is a great film. (Laughs)
How did you deal with alcoholism?
I have been sober for a year and a half. The first challenge is in accepting the condition. Ninety percent of the people don’t do that. I used to indulge in copious amounts leading to a serious addiction. It is an illness like any other illnesses and not a sign of moral weakness. I have been part of the AA clubs and they have helped immensely. It is a daily challenge. My dad has been sober for 29 years but all it takes to relapse is one drop of alcohol. It is a lesson in self-control.
For a detailed interview, pick up your copy of Filmfare Middle East