The gorgeous and spunky Pooja Bhatt was an Indian film actress, producer and director. She acted in many films which were produced and directed by her father.

Pooja Bhatt was born on 24th February, 1972 in Mumbai. Her nickname "Bhoot Bhatt".

Her father is Mahesh Bhatt, famous Bollywood director. Her mother is Kiran Bhatt (aka Loraine Bright), Scottish, Armenian. Her parents divorced and actress Sonia Razdan is her step mother following her father’s second marriage.

Her family has been involved heavily in movies. Her grandfather was Nanabhai Bhatt, her uncle Mukesh Bhatt is the co-owner of Vishesh Films. She has a brother, Rahul Bhatt and step sisters Shaheen and Alia. Her cousins are Emraan Hashmi, Vikram Bhatt and Mohit Suri is a film screenwriter-director.

Pooja Bhatt made her acting debut at age 17, in 1989 with Daddy, a TV film directed by her father Mahesh Bhatt. In the film she played Anupam Kher’s daughter trying to bond with him and help him give up alcohol.


Her biggest hit and her big screen debut came with a musical hit, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991) opposite Aamir Khan which was a remake of the Oscar-winning Hollywood classic "It Happened One Night". Poojaplayed a spoilt brat who runs away from home to marry her boyfriend and meets a journalist. Pooja received the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for the film.

Another hit movie of Bhatt was Sadak (1991),with Sanjay Dutt was a remake of another Hollywood hit "Taxi Driver" and she played a prostitute.

Her most well-known films Sadak (1991), Junoon, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), Sir (1993), Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993), Naaraaz (1994), Hum Dono (1995), Tamanna (1997), a super-hit and multi-starrer Border (1997) and Zakhm (1998).


Her last film appearance was in Everybody Says I'm Fine! in 2001. She has since focused on producing and directing.

She made her directorial debut with Paap in 2004, starring John Abraham and Udita Goswami. The movie nominatted for Best debuting Director.


Since then, she has continued directorial ventures like Holiday (2006), Dhokha (2007) and Kajraare (2010). Pooja Bhatt has also produced movies like Dushman (1998), Sur: The Melody of Life (2002) and Jism (2003).

She set up her own production house called Pooja Bhatt Productions in 1996. The movie 'Tamanna' is released under its banner. The off-beat story is about an orphan brought up by an eunuch. Unfortunately, this movie did not too well at the box office.


She has also appeared in a documentary titled 'Sunset Bollywood (2005)' in which she talks about yesteryear heart-throb Rahul Roy.

Feisty Pooja continues to produce and direct movies as well as make appearances on the small screen, especially Zee TV's 'Anthakshari', with hopes of encouraging talented youngsters.

Pooja Bhatt and Ranvir Shorey had a tumultuous affair. The two got close to each other during the making of Jism (2003). The movie was produced by Pooja Bhatt and Ranvir Shorey had a small role in it. The couple got close during the making of the movie and was soon living together. But their relationship deteriorated and there were allegations of drinking and excessive violence from both sides. The two finally broke up after Pooja Bhatt’s brother reportedly assaulted Ranvir Shorey.


Shortly afterwards, Pooja Bhatt had an affair with VJ Manish Makhija also known as Udham Singh which ended in marriage. On 24 August 2003, Bhatt married Manish Makhija. She had met Makhija a few months earlier, while he was working with her in the film, Paap (2004), in which he also did a small role.

Pooja Bhatt is known for her famous body paint act. Her body paint pictures, which were inspired by the work of Demi Moore, made Pooja a controversial name in the traditional Indian media. The only glaring difference being that unlike Demi Moore, Pooja Bhatt wasn’t nine months pregnant. The whole act was possible after Pooja sat through four hours of spray painting but hopefully she feels it worth the effort. Her bare body paint act includes in the league of Mamta Kulkarni’s Stardust cover, Pooja Bedi’s Kamasutra ad with Marc Robinson and Padma Lakshami’s Allure cover.

Pooja Bhatt shocked one and all when she smooched her father, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt for a magazine cover. Pooja Bhatt rewrote the relationship between a father and a daughter in that one moment between the two of them.

Pooja Bhatt was offered a place in the fifth season of sensational reality show "Bigg Boss" but she turned it down for its very concept. 'Bigg Boss', aired on Colors, is the Indian version of international reality show 'Big Brother' where select few celebrities are locked up inside an isolated house, without any connection with the outside world. Their activities are captured by cameras 24X7.