Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was busy with his career when his son, Rahul Bhatt, from his first wife Kiran was growing up. In a recent interaction, Rahul spoke about his equation with his father, how he was absent during his childhood years and how it led to a distance between them.
While speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Rahul shared that he felt neglected by his father for most of his childhood. He said that because of his father’s constant absence and the separation of his parents, he thought of himself as the “head of the household”.
‘It’s a fractured relationship’
Calling their relationship fractured, Rahul said, “I had to be my own father. My father was there but he was not there. He has been a little indifferent to me for reasons he knows best. I love my father, I respect him but I am not my father. It’s a fractured relationship.”
After separating from Kiran, Mahesh soon married Soni Razdan and they had two daughters – Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt. Rahul described his relationship with his stepmother and half-sisters as “warm” but said his relationship with them is largely a “formality”.
‘My father pays for household expenses’
Rahul described that time of his life as “f**ked up.” However, he also called his father a “great guy” and shared that though he left the family, he never stopped taking care of his first wife and his mother and still helps them financially.
He said, “My mother used to be unhappy. She used to be at home. There was a lot of negativity. Nobody was interested. There was no communication. It was dysfunctionality. He is a great guy. I respect him. He takes care of my mother. I respect that also. Whenever there is a financial crisis, he is there. I can lead a luxurious life in that sense. I am not the breadwinner. My father pays for household expenses.”
When Mahesh Bhatt spoke about his relationship with Rahul
In a 2018 interview with Hindustan Times, Mahesh addressed his relationship with Rahul. He had said, “There was a wound there… I left home when he was around three and he felt I had abandoned the family for another woman. And this was a grievance I couldn’t deny him because it was true.”
Mahesh shared that he supported Rahul when he was accused of befriending David Headley, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and that brought them closer. He said, “That crisis happened, the family came together. Sunny (Rahul Bhatt) realised that the father he thought wasn’t there, had never really left. Slowly we began rebuilding our relationship and I urged him to use his anger against me to fuel his goals. And he managed to do that. He is now a fitness guru. He trains all kinds of important people, but not once has he used my name or connections to promote himself. Nor has he ever tried to use my guilt to his advantage. He’s an entirely self-made man and I’m very proud of that.”