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…’ |
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. 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.
