Pooja Bhatt on divorce with Manish Makhija: I was trapped in a marriage that wasn’t working for me

Pooja Bhatt

Pooja Bhatt has always been a revered icon in the entertainment world. She carved a niche for herself while she was actively acting 'bold' with her choices. She recently appeared on Bigg Boss OTT 2, gaining her a whole new demographic of fans. She kept it very real on the show, from voicing her opinions to opening up about her battle against alcoholism.

At a recent book launch for the book, 'Unchain My Heart', Pooja opened up about her struggle with alcoholism and she used it to cope with her life, saying, "I used alcohol as a band aid, I was trapped and I was chained. First into being a good wife and then getting my gratification with a bottle. I asked myself what is the difference between a bad relationship and a bottle. I was using both to numb the pain. So, I learnt to deal with myself, my anguish and my emptiness and from that something magical emerged. I kicked the bottle and it has been seven years since I have been sober."

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Pooja Bhatt even talked about her sister, Alia Bhatt, and how different they are in public spaces, "My sister Alia is so successful because she knows what to share. What to put out there and what not to. But I have learnt that it's only when you are authentic and when you are speaking from the heart does it get communicated. When I look back at my life, I am enjoying what they call the fourth season of fame. There are four seasons in an artiste's life. First they say he/she has potential, then they say she has arrived, then they say she is over and then they say she is back. So, I came back with Bombay Begums."

Pooja Bhatt was married to Manish Makhija for 11 years. She even borached the topic of why the divorce ensued, "I found myself in a marriage that was crumbling. It wasn't crumbling because of any painful situation, it was rather boring, neither of us cheated or were interested in it. As a woman, I realised that I lost myself in the process while ticking the box that the society has set for me. It took me sometime to realise that I am trapped in a marriage that wasn't working for me. I lost my femininity. I forgot who I was. He was a perfectly wonderful man but there was a loneliness in my soul.

On the work front, Pooja Bhatt recently shined in Bombay Begum.