Mukesh Bhatt Won’t Listen to ‘Chhichora’ Vikram Bhatt On Claims He Exploited Mahesh Bhatt: 'I'm Not Gullible'

For years, the Bhatt brothers were seen as one of Hindi cinema’s strongest creative teams. So when Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt suddenly went their separate ways in 2021, the industry was left stunned. After

staying quiet through the speculation and blame games, Mukesh Bhatt has now finally spoken at length about the emotional fallout, the rumours, and why he still considers Mahesh the most important person in his life.

In a conversation with Lehren Retro, Mukesh said he has never held resentment towards his brother, even though their professional split came as a shock. “I have no bitterness towards him. I don’t know what he feels about me, but there is none from my side.”

The producer also addressed remarks made earlier by filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, who claimed that Mahesh had accused Mukesh of exploiting him. Mukesh dismissed these claims, saying, “He (Mahesh) is gullible, and people had vested interests in how these brothers could be separated.” Speaking directly to Vikram’s comment, he added, “Say what you want to say, I won’t name anyone. Tell Vikram Bhatt to look within himself, listen to his own conscience. He will get the answer whether he’s right or wrong.”

Mukesh went on to explain why outside opinions have never changed his faith in Mahesh. “I won’t get swayed by what someone says. Mahesh Bhatt is my God, he is my elder brother. I love him deeply and always will. I’m not saying this as a jumla, I say it from my heart. I wish him respect, love, and prayers for happiness because he is a very good human being.” Acknowledging Mahesh’s weaknesses, he said, “No matter how good a person is, everyone has shortcomings. His shortcoming is that he is easily influenced, and he got swept up in that.”

He also shared a moment that stayed with him — a message Mahesh sent to Mukesh’s son Vishesh, who now runs the banner and is producing Awarapan 2. Mukesh recalled, “When this film began, I was told that Bhatt saab had sent a message to Vishesh saying, ‘Congratulations, I wish you all the very best from the bottom of my heart.’ I was very touched to hear that.”

Returning to the topic of Vikram’s statements, Mukesh refused to be drawn into negativity. “To ab agar koi mujhe aakar kahe ki Vikram Bhatt ne ye kaha ya kisi aur ne kuch aur kaha, toh main yeh chichore logon ki baatein sun kar apna mann kadwa nahi karunga. I am not gullible. That is the difference between him and me.” He added that nothing could shake his belief in his brother. “If anyone says Mahesh Bhatt was abusing me so much, I won’t be affected because I know what Mahesh Bhatt truly is. He may say something in anger, but not from his heart.”

Looking back, Mukesh admitted that the split blindsided him completely. “I never thought we could separate. I always believed only one thing could separate us was death. I never in my wildest dreams thought we would part ways.”

The Bhatt brothers may no longer be working together, but Mukesh’s words make one thing clear: for him, the bond itself hasn’t broken.