Director, Mahesh Bhatt's son, Rahul Bhatt had once shared in an interview that his father had always treated him indifferently and he was never given equal importance like his other siblings.
Such is the strained relationship between director, Mahesh Bhatt and his son, Rahul Bhatt that many people do not even know that Mahesh Bhatt has a son. Whenever we talk about Mahesh Bhatt's children, we can mainly recall his actress-daughters, Pooja Bhatt and Alia Bhatt and his author-daughter, Shaheen Bhatt.
It was during his stint on the reality show, Bigg Boss Season 4 that the audiences had got to know that Mahesh Bhatt has a son as well. Apart from the reality show, Rahul Bhatt's connections with David Headley, who was the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks had also made it to the news. However, unlike Mahesh Bhatt's other kids, Rahul has kept his life away from the limelight, but his explosive statements about his father have always made it to the headlines.
In an earlier interview with The Times Of India in the year 2012, Rahul Bhatt had talked about his strained relationship with his father, Mahesh Bhatt. He had also opened up about not receiving equal treatment like his other siblings, which had led to bitterness in his equation with his father. He had said, "My father Mahesh Bhatt never treated me like his own child. It's the raw uncut truth about my relationship with my father."
Going further in the interview, Rahul Bhatt had added that it was the negligence he received at his home that had made him bond with David Headley. Stating the same, he had said, "Perhaps if Mr Mahesh Bhatt had been a father to me I wouldn't have got into the friendship with Headley. My childhood insecurities, the lack of a father figure in my growing years were lacunas in my life that Mr Headley used to win over my confidence. I was vulnerable. I had no father to guide me in my growing years."
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Going further in the interview, Rahul Bhatt had told the publication that his father, Mahesh Bhatt's indifferent treatment had not made him bad. He had stated, "I maintain my father was always been indifferent to me. He has always treated me like a bastard. I felt like Andy Garcia in The Godfather 3. I am not a bitter person. I think I am a 'better' person because of Mr Bhatt's treatment."
However, he was quick to reveal that despite his strained equation with his father at home, David Headley could not use him for his own benefit. He had added, "I believe what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I grew up with these feelings of anger and resentment which could've easily be harnessed by Mr Headley. That's what bothers me. I think I escaped miraculously from real damage."
However, now Rahul shares quite a cordial relationship with his father and at times takes to his IG handle to share some unseen pictures with his father. On June 21, 2020, Rahul had taken to his Instagram account to share a picture with Mahesh Bhatt and had talked about the importance of a father. In the photo, Rahul was seen hugging his father. He had written, "That’s what fathering is all about.. It is mentoring and equipping your son to become a man who will assume the family leadership for the next generation.. You have no higher calling in life ... It’s your God given assignment.”
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On the work front, Rahul Bhatt had made his debut in Bollywood with the film Yeh Mohabbat Hai in the year 2002.