Pooja Bhatt on Dabboo Ratnani: photoshoots felt freer than films
Synopsis
Pooja Bhatt's candid admission — that posing for Dabboo Ratnani's camera felt more creatively fulfilling than most of her film sets — reframes what we think of as the 'work' in a star's career. For Ratnani, those early shoots with Bhatt were the foundation of a portfolio that made other stars ask to be 'shot like Pooja.'
Key Takeaways
Pooja Bhatt said she had more fun in photoshoots with Dabboo Ratnani than on most film sets of the same era, citing greater creative freedom.
The remarks were made on The Pooja Bhatt Show podcast and shared as a clip on Instagram .
Ratnani credited the collaboration with shaping his early portfolio, recalling shoots in Shimla and Ooty as formative learning experiences.
He noted that actor Saif Ali Khan still references Bhatt's shoot aesthetic as a benchmark for his own portraits.
Bhatt's film career spans from Daddy ( 1989 ) through Chup: Revenge of the Artist and a stint on Bigg Boss OTT 2 .
Actress-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has revealed that her collaborative photoshoots with celebrated photographer Dabboo Ratnani gave her more creative satisfaction than most of the films she was making at the same time — a candid admission she shared on her podcast, The Pooja Bhatt Show, in a conversation with Ratnani that she later excerpted on Instagram.
What Pooja Said
Speaking directly to Ratnani during the podcast, Bhatt said: 'Dabboo, it'll be fair to say, I had more fun shooting photographs with you than shooting most of the films I was doing at that time because there we could really express ourselves creatively.' She described the photoshoots as a rare space for artistic freedom — experiences she counts among her most memorable professional moments.
Captioning the Instagram clip, Bhatt wrote: 'Fair to say that @dabbooratnani did far more than take my pictures… He photographed my soul! From holding hands under the Christmas tree in Babyland nursery.. To the Iconic images we created together decades later.. to being in conversation with me on @thepoojabhattshow.. All I have is gratitude.. for the unwavering friendship, faith, trust and the occasional SHUTTTT UPPPP.'
Dabboo Ratnani Reflects on Their Creative Journey
Ratnani, in turn, spoke about how much the collaboration shaped his early career. 'Both of us learned a lot from each other. For me, it was a big learning experience to shoot with you and learn so much in terms of styling with Anna, you, makeup, hair, how each wig was made,' he said.
He recalled travelling with Bhatt's team to Shimla and Ooty, absorbing details of production and styling that he later applied to his broader portfolio. 'When those pictures came out, there was no stopping. The calls kept coming — we want to shoot like Pooja. Saif till now says that you shoot me like how you shot Pooja Bhatt,' Ratnani added.
Pooja Bhatt's Career in Brief
Bhatt made her first leading appearance in the television film Daddy in 1989, before her breakout role in the romantic comedy Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin in 1991 — still her highest-grossing release. Through the 1990s, she earned critical recognition for performances in Sadak, Junoon, Naaraaz, Angrakshak, Chaahat, Tamanna, Border, Kabhi Na Kabhi, Angaaray, and Zakhm, followed by a period of reduced screen presence.
She returned to films with Chup: Revenge of the Artist, directed by R. Balki, alongside Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, and Shreya Dhanwanthary — a Mumbai-set thriller about a serial killer targeting film critics. She also participated in the reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2, which was won by Elvish Yadav, with Abhishek Malhan as runner-up.
Looking Ahead
Bhatt closed her Instagram caption with a forward-looking note, expressing eagerness to step in front of Ratnani's lens again: 'Look forward to being in front of your lens soon. Time to create some more magic.' The warmth of the exchange suggests the two are likely to collaborate again in the near future.
Point of View
And that Saif Ali Khan still invokes her as a reference point decades later, says something about how undervalued the still-photography space was as a creative medium in that era. The podcast format is doing real work here: it is surfacing institutional memory that conventional entertainment journalism rarely captures.
NationPress
22 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Pooja Bhatt say about her photoshoots with Dabboo Ratnani?
Pooja Bhatt said she had more fun shooting photographs with Dabboo Ratnani than making most of the films she was working on at the time, describing the shoots as a space for genuine creative expression. She made the remarks on her podcast, The Pooja Bhatt Show.
Where did Pooja Bhatt share her conversation with Dabboo Ratnani?
She shared a clip from The Pooja Bhatt Show podcast on Instagram, captioning it with a tribute to Ratnani's friendship and their decades-long creative partnership.
How did Dabboo Ratnani describe working with Pooja Bhatt early in his career?
Ratnani said the collaboration was a major learning experience, covering styling, makeup, hair, and production logistics during shoots in Shimla and Ooty. He credited those sessions with shaping his portfolio approach for future celebrity shoots.
What films is Pooja Bhatt known for?
Pooja Bhatt is best known for Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), her highest-grossing film, and a string of critically noted 1990s releases including Sadak, Junoon, Chaahat, Tamanna, and Zakhm. She recently appeared in Chup: Revenge of the Artist directed by R. Balki.
What is the significance of Saif Ali Khan's reference in Dabboo Ratnani's remarks?
Ratnani noted that Saif Ali Khan still asks to be photographed in the style of the iconic Pooja Bhatt shoots, underscoring how influential that early collaboration was in defining a visual language for Bollywood celebrity portraiture.
