Actress-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has opened up about the real reason her marriage to ex-husband Manish Makhija didn’t work out, revealing that it was a growing sense of loneliness — not infidelity or conflict — that led her to walk away from the relationship after 11 years.In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Pooja revisited her marriage with Manish, whom she met while working on her directorial debut Paap. The couple tied the knot in 2003 at a private ceremony in Goa before parting ways in 2014.
‘There was no one else’
Addressing the long-held speculations surrounding their separation, Pooja said that many people believed that there must have been another person in her life when she decided to end the marriage.“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 no one else. I wasn’t even thinking about another person,” he said.According to Pooja, the breakup of the marriage was due to emotional disconnection.“I ended my marriage because I felt lonely in that relationship. When you live with someone and still feel alone, that relationship has stopped being a relationship. You slowly lose each other while living under the same roof,” she shared.
“I lost myself as a woman”
Pooja said her relationship with Manish was built on friendship and trust, but she felt they drifted apart over time.“I told him our relationship started with friendship and trust. I never looked over your shoulder and I never will. But I felt it was over. We lost each other, and somewhere, I lost myself as a woman. I wanted myself back.”He added that continuing the marriage would feel dishonest.“It would have been a lie to continue the marriage, and I can’t live a lie,” she said.
“I wouldn’t blame another person for my unhappiness”
The actress explained that she wanted to take ownership of her own happiness, instead of holding someone else responsible for her emotional state.“I was very clear that I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life blaming one person for my unhappiness,” she said.Today, Pooja believes that the most important relationship in her life is the one she shares with herself.“I’m the captain of my own ship. I’ve been lucky enough to have wonderful relationships in my life, but today I’m enjoying the deepest and most sacred relationship of all, my relationship with myself.”
Why motherhood influenced her decision
Pooja also revealed that her reluctance to be a mother was another sign that marriage was not working for her.“One of the reasons I knew my marriage wasn’t working was because I didn’t want to have kids. I love children, but the desire to be a mother has never arrived.’She said she trusted her instincts instead of forcing herself into a role she didn’t really want.“I was working in my thirties and I had a lot of things I wanted to do. But the feeling of being a mother just wasn’t there. I listened to my body and my instincts.”According to Pooja, not having children made it easier for both of them to assess their future honestly.“Fortunately, we didn’t have children, so we could honestly think about what it was for us,” he added.
‘We don’t talk anymore’
After the former couple initially kept it amicable after their split, Pooja revealed that they are no longer in touch.“Even after our marriage ended, we remained friends because I thought there was respect between us.”However, he said things have changed over the years.“Munish and I don’t talk anymore. We haven’t talked in a while. There was a time when I thought we were really friends. Then the lockdown happened, and I think it changed people in a lot of ways. Masks were put on, but some masks also came off.’Reflecting on their relationship today, he said: “We had a friendship, or so I thought. But if a friendship can’t survive hard times, maybe it wasn’t a friendship at all. It couldn’t stand the test of time.”
‘There is no resentment’
Although she no longer shares a friendship, Pooja said she has no bitterness towards her ex-husband.“I really wish him well. There’s no malice, no resentment. I’ve moved on.”She also made it clear that while she is open to finding love again, she is not looking for someone to complete her life.“I’m content. I’m open to relationships, but I’m not looking for a solution. I’m looking for a companion in the truest sense of the word. If it’s a match, great. If not, life’s still good.”
