The Pooja Bhatt Show

iHeartPodcasts

Join iconic actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt as she takes you behind the scenes of the Indian film industry. A new weekly podcast, where she sits down with some of the most remarkable people from Bollywood and beyond, sharing inspiring stories and rare insights, through conversations with directors, actors, musicians, producers, stylists, singers and more.  From the highs and lows of her journey to the remarkable tales of those shaping Indian cinema, this show offers an authentic glimpse into the heart of the entertainment industry culture and her life - reflections, both reel and real.  Nothing is off-limits. Love. Loss. Addiction. Healing. Fame. Failure. Everything will be on the table. She and her guests will talk about it all, with honesty and vulnerability, stories you’ve never heard before

  1. May 27

    A Conversation With Dabboo Ratnani

    There’s something strange about old photographs. Sometimes they capture a fleeting moment and sometimes… they capture a future.Long before cinema and fame, a little girl held the hand of a sweet, fair-haired boy under a Christmas tree at a kindergarten called Babyland in Shivaji Park. Then, life happened. The school was demolished. The city changed. The children forgot.Years later, stranded by terrible weather on a film shoot in Shimla, that same woman spent long, idle hours shooting portraits with a young, unknown photographer to pass the time. The images they captured were extraordinary, eventually gracing countless magazine covers. One evening, she mentioned her heartbreak over her old kindergarten being reduced to rubble.“Babyland?” the photographer asked quietly. “I studied there too.”A trunk call to Bombay and a search through an old baby book revealed the truth: the forgotten photograph was real. That girl was Pooja Bhatt. And the boy whose hand she held is her guest today, India's premier celebrity photographer, Dabboo Ratnani.In this nostalgic and soul-baring exchange on 'The Pooja Bhatt Show,' Pooja and Dabboo step beyond the glamour to explore the magic of a captured memory. They reflect on a vanishing canvas, discussing how photography has shifted from the quiet, intimate frames of their youth to the breathless rush of the digital era. Dabboo shares raw, personal memories from his sacred intersections with giants like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, and the inimitable Sanjay Dutt—iconic moments frozen in time where trust met destiny.This is a masterclass not in expensive gear, but in the unspoken bond between artist and subject. It is an eloquent reminder that to photograph a face is to honor the quiet truth of a person, and that true artistry belongs to those who reinvent themselves while holding onto the childhood instinct that started it all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    59 min

  2. May 20

    A Conversation With Nigam Bomzan

    "The first image a cinematographer captures is never on film. It is captured deep within memory."For cinematographer and musician Nigam Bomzan, that image was his infant sister in a polka-dot frock, bathed in soft Himalayan light and mountain mist. Decades later, that childhood memory still dictates how he shapes light and longing in cinema.In this evocative and free-flowing episode of 'The Pooja Bhatt Show', we journey with Nigam from the hills of Darjeeling to the shimmering madness of Bollywood.Having lived through cinema’s greatest transitions - the tactile poetry of celluloid to the digital revolution and now the unsettling rise of artificial intelligence, Nigam reflects on a vital question for our times...can a machine ever truly generate beauty? Can it ache? Can it dream in fog, or carry memory?Pooja and Nigam pull back the curtain on their own iconic collaboration: the erotic-thriller blockbuster J**m 2. Together, they shatter the glamour of the adult love story, revealing the surprisingly cold, technical and dreary reality of choreographing and shooting intimate lovemaking scenes.But the creative fire between director and cinematographer is far from extinguished. In a thrilling segment for cinephiles, the duo cements a definitive promise to reunite for the franchise's highly anticipated sequel, J**m 3.Tune in for a deep dive into the geography of light, the rhythm of visual storytelling and why, even in the age of AI, the ultimate camera remains the human heart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 hr

  3. May 13

    A Conversation With Vinod Guruji

    “Before a character speaks… the walls have spoken. Before the emotion erupts… the room has already betrayed the soul living inside it.” In this episode, Pooja Bhatt pays tribute to a silent titan of the cinematic frame: the legendary art director Vinod Guruji. In an industry dazzled by stars, Vinod Guruji is the man who builds the worlds they inhabit. He is a practitioner of the "invisible art," a master who believes sets should never look designed but feel lived in, stained by memory, longing, and conflict.  From the tender innocence of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa to the sleek, seductive spectacle of Dhoom and Dhoom 2, he didn't merely create backdrops; he created emotional climates. With a prolific signature spanning over 10,000 ad films and countless feature films, Guruji was a pioneer who brought the future to Indian set design. Long before they became industry standards, he introduced technical innovations like fiberglass, acrylics, and turnkey sets, transforming the very texture of Indian filmmaking. Beyond the silver screen, he was the celebrated “Wizard of Tableaux,” the visionary who transformed history into living imagery through his iconic Republic Day floats. We trace his journey through his collaborations with masters like Amol Palekar to his status as the man who quietly designed the subconscious of Bollywood. As Pooja and Guruji reflect on an era of filmmaking driven by instinct, passion, and human connection, they speak about the almost extinct art of hand-painted publicity, the dignity of film workers whose names rarely make headlines, and the quiet pride that once existed within every department of cinema. The conversation also moves through theatre, collaboration, professionalism, and the emotional intelligence required to tell stories honestly. Join us for an intimate look at the architect of illusion who understands that even before a character talks, it is the walls behind him that reflect the personality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 12m

  4. May 6

    A Conversation With Danish Husain

    Between Karbala and the Stage: The Intersection of Longing and Logic with Danish HusainIn this evocative episode, Pooja sits down with Danish Husain-A man whose life and work exist at the intersection of longing and logic.From the calculated world of economics and banking to the visceral, ancient art of Dastangoi, Danish’s journey is not one of mere career change, but of spiritual homecoming. They explore what it means to be tutored by grief and how he transitioned from a life that made sense on paper to one that resonates in the soul. Through the lens of his celebrated roles in Bard of Blood, Taj Mahal 1989 and Haq they discuss the delicate balance between control and honesty, and the profound ways in which actors must depend on one another to breathe life into a scene.The conversation turns to the unique sanctity of theatre.. a space Danish argues cannot be replaced by screens, as it thrives exclusively on the raw, unmediated energy of live human connection. This leads us to the fearless legacy of Saadat Hasan Manto, whose unapologetic storytelling remains a vital mirror for the truths Danish seeks to summon today.We also go behind the scenes of the Netflix series Bombay Begums. Danish reflects on the vulnerability required for Intimate scenes, revealing how trust, communication, and clear boundaries are the essential scaffolding that allows a performance to feel real while preserving absolute respect and safety. This is a conversation about the power of silence, the weight of heritage, and the courage required to answer a call that only you can hear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    58 min

  5. Apr 29

    A Conversation With S.M.M. Ausaja

    In this episode, Pooja Bhatt sits down with film archivist S. M. M. Ausaja for a conversation that traces the fragile, often forgotten journey of Indian cinema’s memory. From wandering through dusty godowns and discarded collections to building one of the largest private archives of film memorabilia, Ausaja reflects on a life spent rescuing fragments that the film industry - and time - have quietly left behind.What begins with a story about a lost photograph soon unfolds into a deeper conversation on erasure and recovery. Ausaja speaks of the archivist not as a collector, but as a custodian of emotion - someone who restores not just images, but identities. Posters, lobby cards, glass slides, and song booklets become more than artifacts; they become evidence of a cultural past that risks disappearing with every passing year.As the conversation moves through the evolution of cinema, they reflect on a time when film imagery carried a sense of distance and devotion - when stars felt mythical, and posters were treated like shrines. In contrast, today’s digital saturation has made cinema more accessible, but perhaps less magical. Between them lies a shared concern: that in gaining immediacy, cinema may have lost some of its soul.They revisit the legacy of Amitabh Bachchan and the rise of the ‘angry young man,’ connecting his persona to the social unrest of his time. It becomes a lens to examine how cinema once mirrored reality - and how, in many ways, it has drifted from it.As the discussion deepens, Ausaja reflects on the growing dominance of commercial pressures, the shifting nature of audiences, and the quiet neglect of cinematic history. He speaks of preservation not as nostalgia, but as resistance - and of the urgent need for filmmakers and the industry to look back, in order to move forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    59 min

  6. Apr 22

    A Conversation With Kaustav Narayan Niyogi

    A chest cut open, a heart repaired, and a bottle left behind. Does a taste of death ignite a passion for life? In this episode Pooja sits across Kaustav Narayan Niyogi, a man who lived the fast-paced life of an advertising "alchemist" before life forced him to slow down. From becoming India’s youngest creative director at age 29 to becoming one of its "oldest debutant" film directors at 50 with Cabaret, Kaustav’s path has been anything but linear. Beyond the director’s chair, Kaustav possesses a rare, haunting gift for song writing, crafting lyrics and melodies that served as the pulse of Cabaret. Life has knocked on his door twice: first with a battle with the bottle that he conquered to finish his debut film, Cabaret, and later with a hammer-blow to his physical heart. Having stood at the threshold where his chest was literally cut open for repair, he now answers the starkest of questions: will this brush with mortality hurl him into the spring of his life where he finally blooms? Or will he continue to seek out the exit points?   Join us for a raw, profound conversation about recovery, the weight of the "almost," and the delicate art of surviving oneself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 6m

  7. Apr 15

    A Conversation With Aadhya Anand

    In this episode, Pooja Bhatt sits down with Aadhya Anand for a conversation that traces the journey of a young actor coming of age in the glare of an industry that rarely pauses. From her early years in Singapore to stepping into the volatile, demanding world of Indian cinema, Aadhya reflects on the experiences that shaped her instinct, resilience, and sense of self.Thrust into the deep end with Bombay Begums, Aadhya speaks about portraying Shai, a character layered with rebellion, confusion, and quiet fragility. What the audience saw as performance, she experienced as immersion - navigating themes far heavier than her years, while learning to hold her ground amid the noise of attention and expectation. For Pooja, it marked a return after decades; for Aadhya, it was an initiation. Between them lies a shared understanding of what it means to grow under scrutiny. As the two relive the controversy that followed Bombay Begum, Aadhya explains how important having a supportive family to fall back on has been for her. She admits that not everyone is lucky enough to have a support system around them and sometimes outside noise can really get under the skin. As the conversation deepens, Aadhya opens up about the pressures of social media, the illusion of validation, and the quiet discipline required to remain authentic. She speaks of mental health not as a trend but as a necessity, and of learning to trust her own voice in a world that constantly projects alternatives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    56 min

  8. Apr 8

    A Conversation With Ronnie Lahiri

    In this episode, Pooja Bhatt sits down with producer Ronnie Lahiri for a conversation that traces the journey of a true cinematic nomad. From his early years in Shillong - surrounded by music, nature, and quiet observation - to navigating the dynamic landscape of Indian filmmaking, Lahiri reflects on the experiences that shaped both his worldview and his storytelling voice.They trace Lahiri’s upbringing in the Northeast - where nature, sound, and solitude created a language of observation that continues to define his cinematic lens. Raised in an army household, he reflects on a childhood of shifting landscapes and perspectives, where real-world experience became his greatest education. From football fields to film sets, he speaks about the unlikely threads that connect discipline, collaboration, and creativity.Pooja and Ronnie revisit his early years in advertising, where the grammar of filmmaking first took shape, and the leap of faith that led him toward independent cinema. Together, they examine the challenge of representing Northeast India with authenticity, and the responsibility of telling stories that hold emotional truth over commercial expectation.As the conversation deepens, Lahiri reflects on risk, patience, and the cyclical nature of both cinema and life itself. Films like Vicky Donor, Pink, October, and Sardar Udham emerge not as milestones, but as expressions of conviction. Ronnie confesses that for him it’s not the film collection that determines success but it’s the number of lives it touched. With a character forged on the football field, Lahiri brings a sportsman’s grit to the producer’s chair. He is a man who remains remarkably unaffected by success, staying grounded even when his films soar. He understands that a producer's true power lies in the capacity to claim both the hit and the flop with equal composure—backed by a radical faith that says, “If it doesn't work, I’ll sell my house.”In this episode, Pooja Bhatt doesn’t tell the story of a nomad, she simply travels with him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    58 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Join iconic actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt as she takes you behind the scenes of the Indian film industry. A new weekly podcast, where she sits down with some of the most remarkable people from Bollywood and beyond, sharing inspiring stories and rare insights, through conversations with directors, actors, musicians, producers, stylists, singers and more.  From the highs and lows of her journey to the remarkable tales of those shaping Indian cinema, this show offers an authentic glimpse into the heart of the entertainment industry culture and her life - reflections, both reel and real.  Nothing is off-limits. Love. Loss. Addiction. Healing. Fame. Failure. Everything will be on the table. She and her guests will talk about it all, with honesty and vulnerability, stories you’ve never heard before

Information

  • Channel
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    The Pooja Bhatt Show
  • Provider
    iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc

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