When Mithun Chakraborty Compared Pooja Bhatt To Aamir Khan Due To Extra Takes

Pooja Bhatt, who ruled the screen through much of the 1990s and frequently worked under the direction of her father Mahesh Bhatt, revisited one of the biggest professional wake-up calls of her early career.

Speaking to actor Avtar Gill on her podcast, The Pooja Bhatt Show, she recalled a moment on a foreign shoot that taught her the harsh financial realities of filmmaking, something she believes today’s digital generation may not fully grasp. When Mithun Chakraborty Publicly Scolded Pooja for Requesting Another Take The incident occurred during the shooting of Naaraaz in Malaysia, where they were filming on a bustling street. She explained that Mahesh Bhatt was already restless due to the crowd around them, and after a couple of takes, he was eager to move on. But Pooja paused, insisting the shot wasn’t good enough. She remembered how Mithun Chakraborty, her co-star, turned to her for an explanation. When she confessed she wanted another attempt, she was stunned by his reaction. Pooja said, “I said, ‘No Mithun da, it was not a good shot’. In the middle of the road, he just said, ‘Eh, Aamir Khan ka bhoot tumhare andar se nikalo, kya stock ghar se laa rahi ho?’” His sharp remark left her shaken, but it also explained the larger context, something young actors on digital sets today rarely encounter.

Why Asking for Retakes Was Almost a Crime in the Pre-Digital Era

Long before the industry switched to digital cameras, film production relied on raw stock, a costly physical material that rolled inside the camera. Every extra take literally increased the budget, and any waste was immediately felt. Actors were expected to rehearse thoroughly before facing the camera, and directors rarely entertained new takes unless absolutely necessary. Pooja said this was an important learning experience: that retakes weren’t just about artistic instinct, they had financial weight.

Aamir Khan’s Perfectionism and Mahesh Bhatt’s Frustration on Set

Pooja’s previous film before Naaraaz was Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahi, where she worked alongside Aamir Khan. Their creative differences during the shoot are well-known today. Mahesh Bhatt has openly spoken about Aamir’s relentless pursuit of getting every detail absolutely right—an approach he didn’t always agree with.

As stated by the Indian Express, in a conversation with Pinkvilla, Mahesh described Aamir as “a sincere boy but a victim of an ailment of the burden of perfection, which kind of weighs you and people around you.”
He also recalled a moment during the film’s preparation that highlighted Aamir’s meticulous involvement, sharing in another interview, “He discussed what the cap should look like for 10 hours.”
These anecdotes offer context for Mithun’s remark, which compared Pooja’s desire for another take to Aamir’s famously perfection-driven process.

Pooja Bhatt’s Current Projects and What’s Next for Her

Having recently appeared in the 2024 English-language coming-of-age series Big Girls Don’t Cry, created by Nitya Mehra, Pooja continues to explore diverse roles across mediums. The series also features Mukul Chadda, Raima Sen, Zoya Hussain, Avantika, Tenzin Lhakyila, Aneet Padda, Dalai, Vidushi and Afrah Sayed as part of its ensemble cast.
Moving forward, Pooja is gearing up for a new feature film in which she plays the mother of Panchayat star Jitendra Kumar. The project will reportedly revolve around India’s pigeon-flying subculture, a world rarely depicted in mainstream cinema.