Pooja Bhatt on Mahesh Bhatt leaving wife Kiran for Parveen Babi: 'Because they are mard, they can do...'

Pooja Bhatt got candid about her father Mahesh Bhatt’s affair with actress Parveen Babi. Mahesh and Parveen’s romance reportedly began in 1977 after her split from Kabir Bedi.  Bhatt even left his wife, Lorraine Bright (known as Kiran Bhatt), to be with the actress. However, their passionate relationship ultimately unravelled due to Parveen’s struggles with mental health.

In a recent chat with Vickey Lalwani, Pooja said that she was proud of Mahesh Bhatt for walking out of a marriage that wasn’t working. Pooja Bhatt said, “Would I rather have a father who acknowledges he’s human, that there’s been a shift in his affection, who moves out of the house to stand by the woman he’s met?”

She added, “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 said, “Because they are mard, so they can do it. That never happened at my home. They both thought the relationship was over.”

However, after Parveen Babi succumbed to her mental struggles and passed away, Mahesh and Kiran decided to give their marriage another shot. Some years later, Mahesh met Soni Razdan and the two fell in love. Later in 1986, he converted to Islam and married Soni Razdan after four years of secret dating.

When asked if Mahesh changed his religion to have two wives, Pooja said, “He’d never part ways with my mother. I know one thing about my father that 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.”

The actress said that her parents believe there are no villains in their story. Pooja said, “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, or Lorraine Bright rather? Is life the villain? Or circumstances? Is being wretchedly human the villain?”

“When I look at my parents today, the nature of love has changed. But they’re one unit. When people ask me, ‘What about love?’, I say 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, but you can still stand by my side nonetheless,” Pooja Bhatt mentioned.