Pooja Bhatt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pooja Bhatt
Bhatt in 2019
Born	(1972-02-24) 24 February 1972 (age 53) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress producer director
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Manish Makhija ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2014)​
Parent(s)	Mahesh Bhatt (father)
Relatives	See Bhatt family

Pooja Bhatt (born February 24, 1972) is an Indian actress, director, and filmmaker. She is well-known for her work in Hindi films. Pooja became one of the top actresses in the 1990s. She has won several awards, including two National Film Awards and one Filmfare Award.

Pooja is part of the famous Bhatt family in Bollywood. Her father is the well-known Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Pooja got her first main role in her father's television film Daddy in 1989. For this role, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She became very popular with the romantic comedy Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991). This film was also her biggest box office success.

In the years that followed, she received praise for her acting in films like Sadak (1991), Junoon (1992), Naaraaz (1994), Chaahat (1996), Tamanna (1997), Border (1997), Kabhi Na Kabhi (1998), Angaaray (1998) and Zakhm (1998). After this, she took a break and worked less often.

Early life and family

Pooja Bhatt was born on February 24, 1972. Her parents are Mahesh Bhatt and Kiran Bhatt. Her father's family is from Gujarat, India. Her mother's family has roots in England, Scotland, Armenia, and Burma.

Pooja's stepmother is Soni Razdan. She has a brother named Rahul Bhatt. Her younger half-sisters are Shaheen Bhatt and the famous actress Alia Bhatt. Some of her cousins are also involved in films, like director Mohit Suri and actor Emraan Hashmi.

Acting career

Starting out (1989-1995)

Pooja Bhatt started her acting career at age 17 in 1989. Her first film was Daddy, a TV movie directed by her father. In the film, she played a teenage girl trying to understand her relationship with her father, who was played by Anupam Kher. Her acting in Daddy won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

Her first big movie role was in the romantic comedy Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991). She starred opposite Aamir Khan. This film was a remake of the classic Hollywood movie It Happened One Night (1934). Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin was a huge success and made Pooja very popular.

In 1991, she also starred in Sadak with Sanjay Dutt. This film was one of the highest-earning movies that year. It was inspired by the 1976 American film Taxi Driver. In 1992, she appeared in Prem Deewane and Junoon. Junoon was a box office hit and received good reviews.

In 1993, Pooja acted in several films. These included Jaanam, a love story about two people from rival families. She also starred in Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, a musical romance film. Both films were liked by critics. She then appeared in Sir and Chor Aur Chaand. Her film Pehla Nasha had special appearances by many famous actors like Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Continued success (1995-2001)

Pooja Bhatt at a film festival

After many successful movies, Pooja continued to act in films like Guneghar (1995) and Naaraaz (1994). In 1996, she starred in Chaahat opposite Shah Rukh Khan.

In 1997, Pooja played an abandoned girl in the thriller film Tamanna. This film was special because it was her first movie as a producer under her company, Pooja Bhatt Productions. Tamanna won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues. Later in 1997, she was in the big drama film Border. This movie was a huge success and became one of the highest-earning Hindi films of 1997.

Pooja had more success in 1998 with the film Zakhm, starring opposite Ajay Devgan. This film won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. Pooja's performance in Zakhm was highly praised. She also appeared in Angaaray with Akshay Kumar. These films helped establish Pooja as one of the most successful actresses of that year. In 2001, she acted in the English-language film Everybody Says I'm Fine!.

Directing and recent work (2003-present)

Pooja Bhatt (right) with her father Mahesh Bhatt and actress Mallika Sherawat in 2004.

From 2003 to 2012, Pooja focused on producing and directing films. She made her debut as a director with Paap in 2004. This film starred John Abraham. Since then, she has directed four more films: Holiday (2006), Dhokha (2007), Kajraare (2010) and Jism 2 (2012). Her last acting role before a break was in the romantic film Sanam Teri Kasam in 2009.

In 2020, Pooja Bhatt returned to acting with Sadak 2. This film was a sequel to her 1991 hit Sadak. Her father, Mahesh Bhatt, also returned to directing with this film after 20 years. Her half-sister Alia Bhatt also starred in the movie. Sadak 2 was released on the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar.

In 2021, Pooja made her debut in a web series called Bombay Begums on Netflix. The series also features Amruta Subhash and Shahana Goswami. It tells the stories of five ambitious women in modern-day Mumbai. The series received good reviews from critics.

Personal life

Pooja Bhatt married restaurateur Manish Makhija in 2003. The couple later divorced in 2014.

Filmmaker roles

Acting roles

Television roles

Awards and recognitions