Mahesh Bhatt claims Parveen Babi should have withdrawn from Bollywood due to her ‘spiralling into madness'

Pink Villa

28-07-2025

Mahesh Bhatt and Parveen Babi 's relationship is not hidden from anyone. The actress was dealing with her mental health concerns even at the time. But since it was during the 1970s, Babi was never really formally diagnosed. During a recent interview, the filmmaker spoke about how she should have withdrawn from the industry as she had a physiological vulnerability. Despite that, she was trying to fit herself back into the competitive world.
Mahesh Bhatt recalls Parveen Babi's final days
In the Himanshu Mehta Show, Mahesh Bhatt recalled Parveen Babi's final days. He claimed that despite her vulnerable condition, she couldn't distance herself from the limelight. The filmmaker revealed that all attempts were made to make the late actress realise that once she had that kind of breakdowns, there was no way she should try to fit herself back in this fiercely competitive space.
Mahesh further added, 'But I think once you have tasted this business, the high of the arc lights, it's very difficult to turn your back on it. But what happened to her was an unimaginable tragedy.'
Mahesh Bhatt recalls Parveen Babi's last words
In the same interview, Mahesh Bhatt also spoke about Parveen Babi's last words, which were 'dar lagta hai' (I feel scared). He also revealed that though she always showed only the glamorous side to the world, she was a simple woman at heart. 'Behind closed doors, she was a simple woman from Junagadh, Gujarat, who wanted to put oil in her hair and cook food at home. But the clothes she used to wear were very glamorous, so that she looked like a superstar. But on the inside, she was a simple girl.'
Mahesh Bhatt on Parveen Babi's past life
Earlier in an interview with BBC News Hindi, Mahesh shared that Parveen rarely mentioned her past marriage, but the topic occasionally surfaced during visits from her mother, who came from Junagadh.
According to Bhatt, Parveen's mother would occasionally mention that she had once been married, but her husband had moved to Pakistan and never returned. This came up during the time Bhatt was living with Parveen.
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