Pooja Bhatt to return to acting in a film written by father

MUMBAI: Bollywood filmmaker-actress Pooja Bhatt is all set to make her acting comeback after a gap of 18 years in a film, written by her father Mahesh Bhatt.

The 43-old-actress had made her acting debut in 1989 with "Daddy", directed by Mahesh.

The film was about a young daughter who decides to save her father from getting destroyed at the hands of alcoholism with help of her unconditional love and care.

Pooja said the new film will be "reverse" of "Daddy".

"I am acting in a film. It is like 'Daddy', but we are doing a reverse version of it. It's about an ambitious woman, who gets busy chasing her career and in-turn leaves her daughter to earn money and fame," Pooja told PTI.

"She is seen depressed and drunk, before realising that she needs to make amends for her acts," she said.

Post her debut, the actress went on to do films like "Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin", "Sadak" and "Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee".

Pooja, who was last seen on the big screen in the 1998 Mahesh Bhat-directed drama "Zakhm", has no qualms in not doing many films as she refused to simply be an "arm-candy".

"I didn't do many films because I refused to be an arm candy. When my father retired from direction, I stopped acting too. But today people are telling many good stories and who better than my father to write one. That is why I decided to act," she said.

The yet-untitled film will start rolling this year, after the makers find a director.

"We are still looking for a director who will do justice to the material. My father will never direct a film again. He has said it many times and I didn't try to coax him to direct this one either," she said.

Pooja, meanwhile, is working on her next directorial venture, "Jism 3".