Pooja Bhatt Reveals Why She Ended 11-Year Marriage With Manish Makhija: ‘I Wanted Myself Back'

Pooja Bhatt has spoken candidly about the end of her marriage with former husband Manish Makhija, saying it was not conflict or another person that pushed her away, but a deep sense of loneliness within the relationship.

In a recent conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Pooja revisited her marriage to Manish, whom she met while working on her directorial debut Paap. The two tied the knot in a private ceremony in Goa in August 2003 and separated in 2014 after more than 11 years of marriage.

Pooja Bhatt On Why Her Marriage Ended

Pooja said many people assumed there must have been someone else in her life when she decided to end the marriage. However, she clarified that was not the case.

She said, “A lot of my friends asked me, ‘You’ve been married for

11 years. Why are you ending the marriage? Is there someone else?’ The answer was no. There was nobody else. I wasn’t even thinking about another person.”

The actor-filmmaker said the real reason was emotional loneliness.

She shared, “I ended my marriage because I felt lonely in that relationship. When you are living with someone and still feel alone, that relationship has stopped being a relationship. You slowly lose each other while living under the same roof.”

Pooja added that her marriage had begun with friendship and trust, but over time, she felt that they had lost each other.

She said, “I told him that our relationship had begun with friendship and trust. I never looked over your shoulder and I never will. But I felt it was over. We had lost each other, and somewhere along the way, I had lost myself as a woman. I wanted myself back. It would have been a lie to continue the marriage, and I cannot live a lie.”

Pooja Says She Didn’t Want To Blame Anyone For Her Unhappiness

Pooja said taking responsibility for her own happiness was central to her decision. She did not want to spend her life holding someone else accountable for what she felt inside.

She said, “I was very clear that I would not spend the rest of my life blaming another person for my unhappiness.”

The actor said she has now reached a place where her relationship with herself matters the most.

She added, “I am the captain of my own ship. I have been fortunate to have wonderful relationships in my life, but today I am enjoying the most profound and sacred relationship of all, the relationship I have with myself.”

Pooja also said she remains open to love, but is not looking for someone to complete her life.

She said, “I am content. I am open to a relationship, but I am not looking for a solution. I am looking for a companion in the truest sense of the word. If one comes along, wonderful. If not, life is still good.”

Pooja Bhatt On Not Wanting Children

Pooja also revealed that her feelings about motherhood helped her understand that the marriage was not working for her.

She said, “One of the reasons I knew my marriage wasn’t working was that I didn’t want to have children. I love children, but the desire to become a mother never came. I was working throughout my thirties and had many things I wanted to do. But the feeling of becoming a mother simply wasn’t there. I listened to my body and my instincts.”

According to Pooja, not having children made it easier for both her and Manish to think honestly about what they wanted.

She added, “Fortunately, we didn’t have children, so we could think honestly about what was right for us.”

Pooja Bhatt Says Friendship With Manish Makhija Faded After Divorce

Pooja said that even after their marriage ended, she initially believed she and Manish had preserved their friendship.

She shared, “Even after our marriage ended, we remained friends because I believed there was mutual respect between us.”

However, that equation changed over time. Pooja revealed that she and Manish no longer speak.

She said, “Munish and I don’t speak anymore. We haven’t spoken for a very long time. There was a period when I genuinely thought we were friends. Then the lockdown happened, and I think it changed people in many ways. Masks came on, but certain masks also came off.”

She further added, “We had a friendship, or at least I thought we did. But if a friendship cannot survive difficult times, then perhaps it wasn’t friendship at all. It couldn’t withstand the test of time.”

Despite the distance between them now, Pooja said she carries no bitterness.

She concluded, “I truly wish him well. There is no malice, no resentment. I have moved on.”