Pooja Bhatt Recalls ‘Spark’ With Aamir Khan During Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin: ‘It Never Bloomed’

Aamir Khan’s reputation as a “perfectionist” on film sets began taking shape quite early in his career, and according to Pooja Bhatt, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin was one of the films where that side of him was already visible. The 1991 romantic drama, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starred Aamir and Pooja in lead roles and went on to become one of the most loved films of its time. In a recent interview, Pooja revisited the film’s shoot, her equation with Aamir and the “spark” they shared on camera.

Pooja Bhatt Recalls Working With Aamir Khan In Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin

Speaking to Vickey Lalwani, Pooja said Aamir was deeply involved in the filmmaking process even back then. She recalled how he would rehearse extensively and question everything that did not

feel right for the character.

She said, “He is somebody who rehearses. He is somebody who is… Well, some people would say intrusive, some people would say extremely interested in every aspect of the film. So he would question, ‘Why are you wearing heels that are so big? That’s not the character.’ But I learnt a lot from him. His precision, for example, as an actor, he is a precise actor.”

Pooja also revealed an interesting trivia about Aamir’s famous cap from the film. According to her, the cap was Aamir’s own addition to the character and had originally belonged to his nephew, Imran Khan.

She said, “He was wrong about a lot of other things but he was right about one thing which was that cap. That cap was his addition to the film. He took it from his nephew, Imran, I think, and he brought it, and we said, ‘Oh my god, you can’t wear this, it’s a child’s cap.’ He said, ‘That’s exactly where I got it from. I got it from my nephew.’ And we were like, ‘You can’t wear this’ and we were making fun of this, and that cap became a rage, it was sold on every street corner.”

Pooja Bhatt Says She And Aamir Were Like Tom And Jerry

Looking back at their off-screen friendship, Pooja said she and Aamir would constantly tease each other during the shoot.

She shared, “He is not all-knowing and correct always, and we used to pull each other’s leg a lot. We were like Tom and Jerry in that sense. We were always putting each other in our respective places.”

Pooja Bhatt On Her Chemistry With Aamir Khan

During the same conversation, Pooja was asked about old tabloid speculation around whether Aamir was attracted to her during the making of Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin. Laughing at the question, she said, “You should ask Aamir that question. I was pretty attractive, right? Would you blame him if he was?”

When asked whether she was attracted to Aamir, Pooja said, “I found Aamir Khan delightful. Aamir and I were totally in love with each other when the camera was rolling during Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin.”

On being asked if that chemistry translated into something beyond the film, Pooja added, “There was a spark for sure, great chemistry, but did that spark bloom into anything tangible of consequence? I don’t think so.”

At the time, Aamir Khan was already married to his first wife Reena Dutta. The two had secretly tied the knot in 1986 and later publicly spoke about their marriage. They divorced in 2002 after 16 years together. Aamir later married filmmaker Kiran Rao, and the two separated after 15 years of marriage. He is currently dating Gauri Spratt.