Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has opened up once again about his tumultuous relationship with the late Parveen Babi — the dazzling actress whose life spiralled into tragedy behind the glitz of stardom.
Their relationship began in the 1970s, at a time when Parveen was one of Bollywood’s brightest stars. But as Mahesh Bhatt recalls, their love story played out in the shadow of emotional turmoil. “She sat in the corner like an animal,” he said, recounting one of the most painful memories of her mental collapse.
According to Bhatt, India in the 70s had very little understanding or awareness of mental health. Parveen exhibited clear signs of psychological distress — paranoia, delusions, fear — but she was never medically diagnosed. In later conversations, Mahesh Bhatt revealed that she was suffering from schizophrenia, a condition that left her in constant fear and confusion.
“I saw her go through her collapse. I went through it with her,” he said. “I saw her leave in the morning for her shoot with her makeup on. But when I came back in the evening, she was shivering and sitting in a corner like an animal. She kept saying, ‘Someone is going to kill me.’”
The decline was overwhelming, both emotionally and physically. Bhatt described it as a “painful transformation that spiralled beyond control.” Despite her mental state, Parveen couldn’t detach herself from the film world. According to Bhatt, she was caught in the irresistible pull of stardom — the applause, the attention, the high of the arc lights. It had become a drug.
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He remembered trying to convince her to step away from it all. “All attempts were made to make her see that once she had that kind of breakdown, there’s no way she should try and fit herself back into this fiercely competitive space. She should have withdrawn.” But it was too late. “Once you have tasted this business, it’s very difficult to turn your back on it.”
Behind the glamorous persona was a woman who craved simplicity. Bhatt remembers Parveen as a modest woman from Junagadh, Gujarat. “She cherished quiet domestic joys — like oiling her hair or cooking at home.” What the world saw — the diva in designer wear — was, as Bhatt puts it, just a facade.
Their relationship eventually broke under the weight of mental strain. Bhatt admitted he tried to support her, but the emotional toll was immense. “When their relationship ended, it did so painfully, leaving emotional scars,” the article states. Parveen Babi passed away in 2005, alone in her Mumbai apartment, leaving behind a legacy filled with both brilliance and tragedy.
Bhatt also revealed how her story found its way into his creative work. He made two films inspired by their time together. The first was the 1982 drama Arth, which starred Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi. The second was Woh Lamhe (2006), written and produced by Bhatt and directed by Mohit Suri. The film, starring Kangana Ranaut and Shiney Ahuja, depicted a struggling filmmaker’s relationship with a superstar battling her inner demons.
Looking back, Bhatt still struggles to make sense of her decline. “What happened to her was an unimaginable tragedy,” he said.
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