- Mahesh Bhatt was a devoted follower of Osho before leaving the spiritual movement
- Pooja Bhatt said the family was taken to a safe house in Pune at night after Mahesh left
- Mahesh Bhatt flushed his mala down the toilet as a symbol of leaving the Osho cult
Pooja Bhatt has opened up about one of the most dramatic chapters from her family's past, recalling the time when filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt walked away from godman Rajneesh, popularly known as Osho.
Speaking on the Cyrus Says podcast, she revealed that her father's decision to leave the spiritual movement had such serious consequences that the family was taken to a safe house in Pune in the middle of the night.
Pooja Bhatt Recalls Tense Days
Looking back at the episode, Pooja shared that Mahesh Bhatt was once a devoted follower of Osho before deciding to cut ties with the movement.
"My father was part of the Rajneesh cult. He pulled his mala off his neck and flushed down the toilet," recalled Pooja. "And then he was banned. He was the outlaw. I remember a message coming to my mother through Vinod Khanna, 'Bhagwan is very angry. Bhagwan is going to destroy Mahesh.' When I was a child, we were taken to a safehouse in Pune in the middle of the night," she said.
Why Mahesh Bhatt Walked Away From Osho
Mahesh Bhatt has previously spoken about his spiritual journey and why he became an Osho follower in the first place. After the failure of his early films, the filmmaker said he began searching for answers.
Speaking on Arbaaz Khan's chat show a few years ago, Mahesh recalled entering what he called the "spiritual supermarket."
"I went to Osho Rajneesh, who was a charismatic guru from Pune. I went to him and devoted myself to him... ochre robes and meditation five times a day," he had said.
However, he eventually realised that his outward devotion did not reflect how he truly felt.
"I thought that I still feel envious but I am saying holy words... I feel like a hypocrite. I can't lie to the world and myself."
Explaining why he threw away the mala, Mahesh added, "This is worthless; I am a damn fool," recalling what he had told his longtime friend and collaborator, late actor Vinod Khanna, whom he had also introduced to Osho.
Mahesh also revealed that while he left the movement, Vinod Khanna chose to stay and later moved to Osho's commune in Oregon.
ALSO READ: How Pooja Bhatt Rejecting Aashiqui For Her Then-Boyfriend Left Mahesh Bhatt Angry
