Pooja Bhatt says ending 11 year-old marriage with Manish Makhija ‘felt like death’

Pooja Bhatt opened up about her lowest moment in life so far. In a candid conversation with a co-participant in a reality show Jiya Shankar, Pooja got candid about her divorce from Manish Makhija.

3 things you need to know

• Pooja Bhatt and Manish Makhija tied the knot in 2003.
• After 11 years of marriage, they got divorced in 2014. 
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Pooja Bhatt calls divorce a 'challenging time'

Pooja Bhatt spoke about how getting divorced was a challenging time in her life. She said that it was a decision she had to make for herself. She stated that she couldn't lie to herself and chose to end the marriage because she felt she had lost herself in the process.

"People ask if you are ok and people prefer you say so. And later you go and hide behind alcohol because the bottle delivers. Then I thought that I wanted to set myself free and find myself but I drilled myself more into a bad zone," she said on a reality show as quoted by Pinkvilla.

(Pooja Bhatt and Manish Makhija got divorced after 11 years of marriage | Image: Twitter)

The actor-turned-filmmaker shared that letting go of an 11-year relationship was not easy. She further added that the sudden change felt like "death", and she found solace in alcohol to cope with the pain. However, Pooja said that she later realised that she needed to set herself free and find her true self again.

Pooja Bhatt on 'clawing her way out of dark phase'

Pooja Bhatt spoke about how she pushed herself to the bottom of the pool, but her survivor instinct kicked in, and she clawed her way out of the dark phase. She decided not to give up on herself and looked "straight in the eye" of her lowest moments.

The actress had previously shared how her father Mahesh Bhatt used to message about 'who would look after her after his death', which inspired her to quit drinking. She stated that overcoming her alcohol addiction became a pivotal moment in her life.

Regarding her marriage with Manish Makhija, Pooja explained that they drifted apart but continue to respect each other. Despite the difficult decision to end the marriage, she spoke about the importance of cherishing the experiences and lessons learned during their time together.