Muzammil Ibrahim Claims Pooja Bhatt Was Abusive On Dhokha Set: 'She Said Actors Should Be Like Dogs'

Muzammil Ibrahim has opened up about the emotional distress he faced while working on his debut film 'Dhokha', produced by Mahesh Bhatt and directed by Pooja Bhatt.

Muzammil, who was a rising supermodel at the time, admitted that the trauma from 'Dhokha' was so intense that he refused to work on Raaz 2.

Source : Instagram/@muzamilibrahim7

Actor and former supermodel Muzammil Ibrahim has opened up about the emotional distress he faced while working on his debut film 'Dhokha', produced by Mahesh Bhatt and directed by Pooja Bhatt. Although the 2007 film was well-received and his performance earned praise, Muzammil says the off-screen experience left a deep psychological impact.

Muzammil Ibrahim claims Pooja Bhatt was verbally Abusive

In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Muzammil said, "I was called unprofessional during that time by Pooja Bhatt. She had a temperament, an attitude which was very disrespectful for actors. Bhatt saab used to like me a lot because I was a good actor. I was just a kid that time, around 20, and the way I was treated on that set I cannot even begin to say… it was so heinous. I was respectful, but I had expectations. But the way I was mistreated I had no expectations after that. She used to verbally abuse a lot.”

Muzammil Ibrahim left Dhokha because of the trauma

Muzammil, who was a rising supermodel at the time, admitted that the trauma from 'Dhokha' was so intense that he refused to work on 'Raaz 2', despite the opportunity. He continued, “I was so scared, I was nightmarish. I was a supermodel in India, respected in a very different way and the way I was treated there… Mahesh Bhatt saab saw what was happening and tried to tell her not to do that as well. But it escalated when Bhatt saab was not on set. I used to hear such stories on set where Pooja said that actors should be like dogs and should sit when told. I come from a small family and I was so scared, the articles that were written to sabotage me… I did not want to attach myself to that situation. I used to have nightmares and used to pray that I survive the whole day. I went through a lot of depression.”

'Dhokha' released to positive reviews, and Muzammil’s performance was widely appreciated. The film also starred Tulip Joshi, Anupam Kher, and Gulshan Grover.