Pakistani actress Meera alleges that Mahesh Bhatt was possessive and physically abusive, and that it was him who made her leave Bollywood and didn’t let her come back.
Meera, who became a known face in Bollywood with films like Mahesh Bhatt’s “Nazar” and Rajiv Babbar’s “Kasak”, is making a comeback.
When TOI caught up with her in Karachi, the actress opened up about her hiatus from Indian cinema, saying Bhatt didn’t want her to work with anyone else, and even thwarted her visa process when she wanted to return.
“Do saal ke baad main wapas Bollywood films karne wali hun. It’s been a long gap and people in Pakistan and India have been asking why. Today, I feel it’s time to share the truth. It was a heartening experience to work in Bollywood. I love the Indian audience and the appreciation I received here was unexpected. It was not an easy journey. Bahut mushkilen aayin, par maine haar nahin maani. I was new to Bollywood and Mahesh Bhatt introduced me to the industry. I respect Maheshji a lot, he has been my guru and mentor. I will always owe my success to him,” says she.
But then why did she move back to Pakistan? “I was all alone in Mumbai and didn’t know many people except Mahesh Bhatt. I felt insecure. Bahut waqt laga logon ko jaanne main. It was not that easy. After my success in my debut film, “Nazar”, I started getting a lot of offers from other renowned filmmakers, about which Mahesh Bhatt felt uncomfortable. Mujhe laga woh jealous thay mujhse jab main famous ho rahi thi. Woh nahin chahte thay ki main kisi aur director ke saath kaam karun. I got offers from big directors like Ram Gopal Varma, Mani Ratnam, Subhash Ghai and so on. He didn’t appreciate it at all,” Meera replies.
So was it her own decision to leave India after a dispute with Bhatt? Meera says, “Logon ne bahut kuch likha is bare mein, aur kaha bhi, but main ab chup nahin rahoongi. Aaj main sach bolna chahti hun. It was not my decision to stop doing films, but I was asked to leave India by Maheshji. He did not like my being famous and interacting with other directors.”
Pata nahin kyun… Woh bade ajeeb tarah ki baatein karte. He would tell me, 'Tum mein aur Pooja (Bhatt, his daughter) mein koi farak nahin hai. You are like Pooja… Aur phir kuch der baad kahte ki main tumhe kaafi chahta hun aur tum mere liye bahut special ho. It was difficult for me to tell what exactly he wanted from me. He wanted me to only stick to his banner. One night, I had to meet Subhash Ghai at a hotel. Jab maine Maheshji ko kaha, toh woh bahut furious hue aur mujh par bahut chillaye, aur unhone mujhe do teen thappad bhi maare.
“I was shocked. We had a fight, and then he said to me, 'Sorry Meera, I can’t handle your problems anymore. It’s better that you go back to Pakistan. I left, but then when I wanted to come back to India again, he made sure that I didn’t get a visa. After that, I had no hope to work in Bollywood anymore. Usne saare raaste rok diye. I felt very shocked and depressed. I kept asking myself, ki meri kya galti thi… main ab tak Maheshji ko samajh nahin paayi hun.”
Back in Pakistan, Meera is busy with her films and reality shows. She tells us she was also offered “Bigg Boss” in India, but she refused. She says, “I was offered twice to be a part of “Bigg Boss”. I wasn’t comfortable and refused. To stay in that house with people I didn’t know wasn’t a comfortable idea for me.”
Ask her about Veena Mallik’s fame courtesy “Bigg Boss”, and Meera says, “Veena is a dear friend and I’m happy for her. If she is happy with Ashmit, then why should people talk so much. She is a talented actress and has great potential.” Meera says she’ll be visiting Mumbai. “I have a lot of appointments with filmmakers and producers. There are lots of interesting projects in the pipeline. I’ve been approached by Imtiaz Ali to do his next movie opposite Ranbir Kapoor. I have also signed a new film, where I’m playing a Pakistani girl. The shooting should begin by this year end.”
In the same vein, Meera adds, “Ab main mature ho gayi hun aur kaafi confidence aa gaya hain mujh mein. Ab mujhe koi nahin rok sakta hai. Now, even if Mahesh Bhatt wants to stop me, I don’t care,” she laughs.
