Sadak 2, a sequel to the 1991 blockbuster film Sadak, marked Mahesh Bhatt's return as a director after two decades. With Alia Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur at its centre, it quickly became one of the most anticipated films of 2020. However, owing to the pandemic, the film released on Disney+ Hotstar, months after the sudden and tragic death of Sushant Singh Rajput, amid much criticism. Not only did the people dislike the trailer to the extent that it became the second most disliked video on YouTube with 5.3 million dislikes and demanded its boycott, but it also received largely negative reviews from the critics.
But, Pooja Bhatt, who was also involved closely with her father on its production apart from having a brief role in the film, doesn't see Sadak 2 as a failure. Speaking to INDULGE, the actress highlighted that Sadak 2 made Mukesh Bhatt, her uncle who had produced the film, 'very rich'.
"Everybody determines success in different ways. Mukesh Bhatt made more profit from it than he did from his last 15 films so I don’t think he looks at it as a failure either. The rule of the business is that if a film makes a profit, it is a hit," said Pooja, adding, “Besides, for Alia and I, it was the joy of being on set with our father, which is why we always say that Sadak is more than a film for us. It was about life coming full circle for us."
Addressing the controversy surrounding the film when it released, Pooja added, "Of course, Sadak 2 released at a time when there was a kind of negativity in the air for more reasons than one. I think people were upset with the tragic death of Sushant Singh Rajput and films like Sadak 2, Laxmii (originally titled Laxmmi Bomb) and others were where they expressed their angst. So, yes, the timing could have been better. If we had waited for three to four months, probably the negativity in the air would have died down. But as far as views are concerned, I have been told that at one point Sadak 2 had as many searches as Avengers and when it comes to the profit, I can assure you that my uncle is laughing all the way to the bank."
Pooja has returned to acting after a decade with web-series Bombay Begum. Released on Netflix, the series has opened to largely positive reviews with the actress garnering praises from critics as well as the public at large. INDULGE spoke to the actress at length about her OTT debut with Bombay Begum, her personal life and alcoholism. Read full interview here.