The controversy began in 1990 with a magazine cover showing Pooja Bhatt and her father, Mahesh Bhatt, sharing a lip-to-lip kiss. At the time, this was seen as a defiance of “societal norms” and “tarnishing traditional family values,” and it quickly sparked a nationwide “media storm”. Pooja later explained that the moment was innocent and misinterpreted. Mahesh Bhatt’s controversial remark, “If Pooja had not been my Daughter, I would have Married her”. The incident remains a significant topic in Indian media history.

This report goes beyond the simple gossip to provide a deep and clear look at the issue. It shows that the controversy was not just a celebrity scandal, but a key moment that revealed all the big changes happening in Indian society, culture, and media in the early 1990s. We will explore how the controversy began, why it was such a big deal, the family’s side of the story, and how the discussion has changed in the age of the internet.

Pooja Bhatt has talked about the controversy many times in interviews. Her main point is that the moment was “absolutely innocent” and that a single picture can be shown in many different ways, both good and bad.
​She shared that Shah Rukh Khan once told her that young children often kiss their parents in an innocent way. She used this to explain her bond with her father, saying that for him, she will always be his “10-pound ki bacchi” (little child), no matter how old she gets.

​Pooja Bhatt’s main defense has always been to put the attention on how the public viewed the photo, rather than on the photo itself.
​She has often said that if someone sees a father-daughter bond in a negative way, it says more about their own “mindset” than the reality of the relationship. She even made a sarcastic remark about it, saying, “If people can view a father-daughter relationship differently, they can do anything. Then we talk about family values. What an amazing joke.”
​By speaking this way, the Bhatts managed to turn the conversation around, acting like they were misunderstood artists being judged by a hypocritical society. This strategy helped them take control of the public story.