Parveen Babi's mental health crisis led Mahesh Bhatt to replace her with Rekha in a film that never got made

11 August,2024 06:26 PM IST |  Mumbai  | 

Recently, Mahesh Bhatt shared that he had started filming a movie called Ab Meri Baari with Parveen, but had to replace her with Rekha after she faced mental health issues

Mahesh Bhatt


Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and the iconic actress Parveen Babi were in a relationship for nearly three years. Known as one of Bollywood's most glamorous women during the '70s and '80s, Parveen Babi passed away at 50 in 2005.

Mahesh Bhatt reveals he replaced Parveen Babi with Rekha

Recently, Mahesh Bhatt shared that he had started filming a movie called Ab Meri Baari with Parveen, but had to replace her with Rekha after she faced mental health issues. Unfortunately, the film was never completed due to financial difficulties.

In a conversation with Radio Nasha Official, Bhatt mentioned, "I was in a relationship with her and when you are with someone you want to spend time with them. I wanted to make the film Ab Meri Baari. The movie was supposed to feature Dev Anand, Rishi Kapoor, Tina Ambani and also Praveen Babi. During the shooting of the film, she had a mental (health) episode, got sick and the film was stopped. Then we took Rekha ji and reshot it but because of lack of finance, it couldn't be completed."

Mahesh Bhatt and Parveen Babi's romance is said to have begun in 1977 after she ended her relationship with Kabir Bedi. Heartbroken, Parveen found solace in Bhatt, and the two fell in love. Bhatt decided to leave his wife, Lorraine Bright (also known as Kiran Bhatt), and their daughter Pooja Bhatt to be with Parveen. However, their relationship eventually faced challenges due to Parveen's mental health issues.

About Mahesh Bhatt recently

In a conversation with India Today, Mahesh Bhatt praised Alia for her performance in Udta Punjab, though he has his own way of praising his daughter. "I must say that I was devastated by Udta Punjab. I didn't understand when did this girl, this Juhu girl exposed to our home, where we live like a normal family… How did this Juhu girl get the accent right of an Adivasi from Chhattisgarh? It was amazing. I was astounded by that," he said while talking about Alia's performance.

Further in the conversation, Bhatt said Alia Bhatt was just a mannequin in her debut film, Student of the Year, and Udta Punjab came as a departure from that girl. "Her raw power, and her ability to get into such a vulnerable space, and bare her heart. Highway and Udta Punjab… It was a departure from that girl who was just a mannequin in Student of the Year. You see the evolution in your child also," he added.

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