Latest news with #MaheshBhatt
India Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Exclusive: Anupam Kher on how confronting Mahesh Bhatt for Saaransh changed his life
Veteran actor Anupam Kher has always been known for his honesty and resilience, and in a recent conversation with India Today, he opened up about a pivotal moment in his career that defined the course of his life - being removed from the 1984 film 'Saaransh'.When asked what was the one decision that changed his life, Anupam Kher said, 'In relationships, we take chances. In our careers, we take chances. That's how we discover and reinvent ourselves. It's important to forgive and move on, or even if you can't forgive, still move on. All of it is part of life.'advertisementThe actor recalled being removed from 'Saaransh', a film that went on to become a turning point in his career, just 10 days before the shoot. Disheartened, he was all set to leave town. But something in him pushed back. 'I was on my way to the VT station, planning to return to Delhi, Shimla, or Bombay. But I told myself - how can I leave without telling Mahesh Bhatt what I feel? So I went to him, cried, cursed, and said everything I had to. If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today. That moment changed me,' he emphasised the power of communication, tying it back to the theme of his upcoming project. 'I think I did the right thing by going to him. 'Metro In Dino' also talks about this. Bolna bahut zaroori hai (Speaking up is necessary). Communication is so necessary,' he next, ' Dino' is all set to release on July 7. The film also stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Konkona Sensharma, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Neena Gupta and Ali Fazal.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Anupam Kher
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Bollywood star who worked with Rishi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi was arrested for trying to enter an ashram, has been missing for 20 years despite Rishi trying to find him
Bollywood movie stars enjoy the riches and fame that come with their profession but if, unfortunately, their life takes a turn that isn't as glamorous, all of this can turn tragic, and something similar happened with yesteryear star Raj Kiran. Raj is still fondly remembered for his work in films like Karz and Arth, and during the 1980s, he appeared in a bunch of films which helped him get established as the new star on the block. However, life as he knew it, wasn't as kind to him and a few years later, Raj went missing. After many leading roles, Raj started appearing in supporting roles in the early 1990s, before he disappeared from the films. After being locked up in Bengaluru Central Jail for nearly a month in 1996, he appeared in some other films as well. It was, perhaps, during this time that director Mahesh Bhatt met him at a mental health facility, and a few years later, Raj went missing, and even his family couldn't find him. To date, there is no trace of Raj and no one knows if he is alive or dead. Raj Kiran made his debut with the 1975 film Kaagaz Ki Nao, and was soon seen in the film Kissa Kursi Ka, a political satire which was banned during the Emergency. It was his role in the 1980 film Karz, starring Rishi Kapoor, that Raj stepped into the spotlight. He had a supporting role in the film but the success of Subhash Ghai's film did wonders for him as well, and soon he started landing major roles. In 1982, he scored another win when he appeared in Mahesh Bhatt's Arth as the man who is ready to support the woman he loves, even if she doesn't choose him. After this too, Raj appeared in a plethora of films across the decade but somewhere in the mid 1990s, he took a break from the movies. In 1996, a crime reporter found him at Bengaluru Central Jail where he was imprisoned for trespassing the Puttaparthi Sai Baba Ashram, and it appeared that his family members didn't even know about it. As per Deccan Herald, he hired a tractor and a ladder and tried to break into the ashram at night. A few days after the news was reported, his father bailed him out. The following year, in 1997, Raj gave an interview to Cineblitz, where he said that the matter was 'blown out of proportion.' 'The trauma that I faced when I was put in jail, is indescribable. You can never understand the fear one feels, when you are told that you cannot be bailed out. I spent 34 days in jail and sitting there, I was not sure if I would ever be free. That is a very scary feeling,' he said. ALSO READ | Bollywood's biggest hairstylist died penniless, family was left with 'nothing to eat' despite counting Bachchans, Kapoors as friends At the time, it was said that Raj had spent some time in America with his brother Govind, and was planning to go back. But, it was somewhere after this, perhaps, that director Mahesh Bhatt, who worked with Raj in Arth, met the actor at a mental health facility in Byculla, Mumbai. Bhatt, in a 2011 chat with Rediff, shared that he met Raj 'many years ago when he was in the psychiatric ward of Masina Hospital. He was not the Raj Kiran I had interacted with. This was a sombre-looking, depressed individual and with great difficulty he communicated with me. There was no joie de vivre, no energy that he exuded every time he met us; his friends, that is.' Mahesh said that after Raj came back from the hospital, he got in touch with the director. 'We tried to give him some work, a role here and there but once the word gets around that you are mentally unstable, nobody wants to touch you with a barge pole,' Bhatt said and shared that it was after this, that Raj moved to the US and started staying with his brother Govind. After his move to the US, Raj stayed with his family for some time but one day, he went missing. After reports surfaced in 2011 that he was in a mental health facility in Atlanta, as actor Rishi Kapoor had found out, his daughter Rishika came forth and explained that this wasn't the case, and that he was still missing. 'He is not in Atlanta. We have been looking for him for over eight years. We have involved the New York police and hired private detectives to find him. But he's not been found,' she told Mid-day. Rishika shared that he was last seen in new York and mentioned that it was 'very out of character for him to not inform us about his whereabouts.' She further added, 'He was the most loving father. Yes, he suffered from a bit of mental illness before he disappeared. We wanted to deal with this on our own, but those false reports forced me to come out in the open. I think this is totally unfair on my mother.' ALSO READ | Star of Bollywood's Golden Era died penniless due to flamboyant lifestyle, influenced Amitabh Bachchan and won praise from Mahatma Gandhi At the time, Rishi told Subhash K Jha in an interview that he had been in touch with Raj's brother Govind and it was Govind who told him that Raj was at a mental health facility in Atlanta. 'I was so relieved when Govind told me Raj was alive. But he was confined to an institution in Atlanta due to health problems.' In the same interview, Rishi shared that as per Govind, Raj was looking after his own treatment by working at the institution. Rishi shared that Raj's family members were not in touch with him anymore and as much as he tried to find him, he couldn't get in touch with the actor. Rishi was told that since Raj had invested well, he wasn't facing any financial difficulty. In 2011, actor Deepti Naval, who also worked with Raj in the film, Hip Hip Hurray, put up a Facebook post urging people to look for Raj as she had heard that he was last spotted driving a cab on the streets of New York. It's been years since anyone heard from the actor. Even by his daughter's admission in 2011, where she confessed to last seeing him in 2003, it has been over 20 years since anyone heard about his whereabouts.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Mahesh Bhatt pens a poem remembering Raj Khosla: ‘The Light That Lingers'
On Raj Khosla's birth centenary, Mahesh Bhatt pens a special poem for the filmmaker. Khosla helmed films such as C.I.D., Do Raaste, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, Bombai Ka Babu, Woh Kaun Thi and Mera Gaon Mera Desh. 2025. First quarter of the second century of cinema. They're screening his films again. Regal Cinema. An old hall. The velvet is dull. The walls are cracked. Dust floats in the light. The air smells of time. The screen waits. It doesn't shine like it used to. Streaming has taken over. Theatres are kings without kingdoms. And still—here we are. I'm the guest of honour. Asha Parekh will be here soon. Once, the face on every poster. Now, a medal on her chest. Reverence in every greeting. I sit and wait. We're here to honour the brilliance of one of the most underrated filmmakers India ever had. Thanks to the Film Heritage Foundation— founded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, a man on a mission to rescue our fading cinematic memory. And as I wait, something inside me shifts. 1969. I was twenty. Rubber slippers. Tight pants. No money. A head full of storm. I wanted to make films. I didn't know how. At Mehboob Studio, the watchman stopped me. 'You don't belong here,' he said. I said a name — Raj Khosla. I hadn't met him, but I knew him. Something in the way I said it opened the gate. Inside, the air smelled of sweat and paint. Cables on the floor. Men shouting. Dreams being built— not dreamt. Built. His office was cold with air-conditioning. He'd just woken up. Looked at me like a face from a dream he couldn't place. 'Know anything about filmmaking?' he asked. 'No.' He smiled—small, sideways. 'Zero's a good place to start.' That was it. That's how I began. I stayed a short while. But I saw enough. How a film is made— Not wished into being. Wrestled in. Through heat and silence and rage. We made a film. Later, they called it the first Eastern Western. We called it madness. Sand. Heat. Guns that jammed. Stars who bled. Then I left. We all do. I failed first. Then, somehow, I didn't. Four hits in a row. The applause came. I smiled. But the sound never reached me. He, meanwhile, had begun to vanish. Even the brightest lights fade. One night—Sea Rock Hotel. Terrace. Stars above. Music below. He stood alone. Hands in his pockets. Looking out at the sea like it had stolen something from him. I walked up. 'Get me a drink,' he said. I did. Because some men stay taller than time. He looked at me. 'So—how does it feel? Being on top?' I said, 'I didn't ask for this.' He laughed. Not kindly. 'You? Four hits and still restless? Try being the man who once had it all and now begs for one last sip of relevance.' Then he looked beyond the lights— toward something only he could see. 'Fame is starlight,' he said. 'The glow of something already dead. You see the shine— but the star is gone.' I never forgot. I couldn't. Now the young come. They speak with fire in their throats. I listen. And when I speak— they don't just hear me. They hear him. The man who let me in. The man who said zero. They don't know his name. But they carry it—like I did. He is gone. But the light is still here. The hall stirs. She walks in. Applause cracks through the dust. We take the stage. A question comes: 'What did your master leave you that lasted?' I close my eyes. See his face. Hear his voice. 'Zero,' I say. 'That's where I began.' They nod. They think I'm wise. They think I know. But I don't. And that's the truth. To stay in this work— to stay in this life— you have to live with not knowing. The old sages knew it: Not this. Not that. Not even this. What remains isn't certainty. It's the light. The kind that flickers. The kind that stays. I don't direct anymore. Don't chase stories. I'm quiet now. Like a volcano that once burned. Now still. Still warm. I mentor the thirsty, the talented. The young come. They burn. I listen. I guide. I hand them the match. Let them strike it. That's enough. So I say it again— for the ones still outside the gate: Fame is starlight. Beautiful. Distant. Already gone. Let it guide you. Let it burn you. Then let it go. And when your time comes— Start from zero. Stand in the not-knowing. Speak only what's true. And pass it on.
Economic Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Deepika Padukone's ex-boyfriend says '90s actress treated him 'heinously': 'She often called actors dogs'
Muzammil Ibrahim alleges mistreatment by Pooja Bhatt during his debut film 'Dhoka,' citing verbal abuse and a toxic environment. He claims Bhatt demeaned other actors and that Mahesh Bhatt, despite being supportive, couldn't prevent the emotional toll. Ibrahim also reveals a missed opportunity for a role in 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' due to biased casting agents. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Allegations of Abuse and Unfair Treatment A Fallout Rooted in Power Games Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Missed Opportunity in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Actor Muzammil Ibrahim has been on a tell-all spree recently. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, he claimed that he was treated 'heinously' by actress Pooja Bhatt in his debut film, 'Dhoka'. He claimed that the environment on set was hostile and alleged that Pooja Bhatt, who was significantly older than him, treated him with blatant disrespect. At just 20 years old, stepping into the film industry with high hopes, he was instead met with what he described as emotionally scarring Mahesh Bhatt, the producer and creative head of the project, was reportedly encouraging and kind to Muzammil, he said that Pooja's attitude created a toxic atmosphere. According to Muzammil, she dismissed him as 'unprofessional' and allowed damaging rumors about him to spread in the press. The situation was made worse by what he described as a complete lack of empathy, considering his age and the fact that he was entering the world of cinema for the first didn't hold back when recounting his experience on the sets of Dhoka. He claimed that Pooja Bhatt was verbally aggressive and often used foul language, creating an unsettling work environment. He felt unsupported and humiliated, which eventually affected his mental health. The actor said that her behavior intensified when Mahesh Bhatt wasn't around. Although Pooja was credited as the director, Muzammil alleged that it was Mahesh Bhatt who actually called the creative shots, directing the scenes while Pooja mainly handled the music the unpleasant experience, Muzammil shared that Mahesh Bhatt later offered him roles in Raaz 2 and a film project that Soni Razdan, Mahesh's wife, intended to direct. However, he turned down both offers. The trauma from his debut left him deeply shaken—he said he couldn't bring himself to work with them again and even began experiencing nightmares due to the psychological toll it took on also shared troubling anecdotes about Pooja's attitude toward other actors. He recalled her allegedly demeaning comments about John Abraham and Dino Morea, claiming she treated them as though they were beneath her.'Pooja has told actors in the past that they are like dogs, when I tell them to sit, they should sit, if I tell them to stand they should stand. She would say this about John and Dino. Someone who has this kind of attitude about their actors, imagine what kind of a person they would be," he controlling, dismissive attitude made him question her approach to filmmaking and actor relations. Although he wanted to stand up for himself, Muzammil admitted that he feared retaliation. He believed that the influential Bhatt family had the power to manipulate media narratives and damage his Dhoka, Muzammil discussed another heartbreak in his career—the role of Avi in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, which eventually went to Aditya Roy Kapur. Muzammil said that Ayan Mukerji, the film's director, originally envisioned him for the role. He also claimed he had even recommended Deepika Padukone's name for the project, emphasizing that their personal history had no bearing on his he said things changed when casting agents got involved. According to Muzammil, they miscommunicated and acted with bias, causing a rift between him and Ayan. Despite Ayan's supposed intention to give him the script, it never reached him. Muzammil alleged that the casting agents had their own agendas and played favorites, ultimately blocking his chance to be part of what became a revelations highlight the struggles many newcomers face in the film industry—especially when caught between internal politics and the weight of powerful personalities.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Muzammil Ibrahim reveals he was in 'depression' and had 'nightmares' due to Pooja Bhatt's abusive nature on Dhoka set: 'Mahesh Bhatt would ask her to not behave like that...'
Muzammil Ibrahim spoke about his difficult experience during the film 'Dhokha'. He revealed Pooja Bhatt's abusive behavior on set affected his mental health. He suffered from depression and nightmares. Mahesh Bhatt was aware but couldn't fully intervene. Muzammil declined future offers from the Bhatt family due to this experience. He also mentioned negative publicity after the film's release. Model-turned-actor Muzammil Ibrahim has opened up about the emotional turmoil he faced while working on the 2007 film Dhokha, directed by Pooja Bhatt . In a candid conversation, he revealed how the harsh treatment and abusive behavior on set deeply affected his mental health, leading to depression and nightmares. Despite support from Mahesh Bhatt , Muzammil's experience left lasting scars and influenced his decision to distance himself from the Bhatt camp in his later career. Opening up about the difficult experience, Muzammil told Siddharth Kanan that Pooja Bhatt had a harsh temperament and was often disrespectful towards actors. While he shared that Mahesh Bhatt was supportive of him, he claimed Pooja made several negative remarks and behaved in an abusive manner on set. Despite showing her respect, he recalled being deeply affected by her conduct. The actor described the shoot as a very tough time for him. He said he went through a lot of pain and struggled emotionally, especially since he was very young. Muzammil revealed that the experience led him to depression and nightmares, and every morning he would pray to Allah to protect him from the difficult situation. Muzammil also said that Mahesh Bhatt knew about the tension on set but couldn't fully step in. He mentioned that Mahesh would ask Pooja to be kinder to him, but she would still act harshly when Mahesh wasn't around. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Muzammil added that crew members and even Mukesh Bhatt shared stories about Pooja's difficult behavior and temper. Because of his experience, Muzammil said he chose to turn down future offers from the Bhatt family. He revealed that Mahesh Bhatt was eager to cast him in Raaz 2, and Soni Razdan also encouraged him to work on their projects, but he declined all the opportunities out of fear. He also shared that after the film's release, Pooja Bhatt reportedly spoke negatively about him in the media. Muzammil recalled being called names and labeled unprofessional but chose not to respond, fearing that speaking out might lead to being blacklisted in the industry. Muzammil Ibrahim is best known for the hit remix song "Pardesiya" with Rakhi Sawant and films like Horn 'Ok' Pleassss and Will You Marry Me?. His most recent work was in the web series Special Ops. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
