Pooja Bhatt On Sobriety: When Some Of My Own Wanted Me To Fail, A Stranger Rooted For Me

New Delhi: Pooja Bhatt, who battled alcoholism and eventually quit drinking on Christmas 2016, on Friday (read Flashback Friday) recollected an incident when a "stranger" boosted her confidence towards sobriety. The actress-turned-filmmaker in an Instagram post shared another page from her 'sobriety diaries,' in which she said that 10 months after she quit drinking she called her "regular booze supplier" to stock up red wine for her guests ("as I would never want to impose my sobriety on anyone else"). Pooja Bhatt said that she was "moved beyond belief" hearing the supplier's reply when she told him the wine was for her guests. It was: "Mujhe pata chala tha, issi liye jab aapka phone aaya, toh mera dil ghabra gaya." Pooja Bhatt said she was probably one of his top customers and yet he was "worried about me breaking my resolve to not drink."

"Some of my very own wanted me to fail and here was this intimate stranger who was rooting for me to stick to my course. It would be extremely profitable to this man if I started drinking again and yet he wanted me to stay sober. It is these instances of virtuousness that work as the glue that keeps this rather broken world together," she wrote.
 

 

Ten months into my sobriety I was expecting a couple of friends who I had not seen in a while to drop by.They are not big drinkers but enjoy their share of red wine on occasion. I still keep a fairly well stocked bar at home for times like these as I would never want to impose my sobriety on anyone else.Searching through my much ignored bar, I discovered I was low on wine so I called my regular booze supplier, 'Deepak Wines', to order a couple of bottles. The minute I said "Hello", the voice at the other end recognized mine. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, I told him I wanted to order some red wine. "Aapke liye hai ya kissi aur ke liye hai?" he asked hesitantly. "Maine sharaab peena chhod diya hai mere dost." I responded with a laugh. "Acchi baat hai na madam? Mujhe pata chala tha, issi liye jab aapka phone aaya, toh mera dil ghabra gaya." I was moved beyond belief. I was probably one of the best customers this man once had & here he was worried about me breaking my resolve to not drink. Some of my very own wanted me to fail and here was this intimate stranger who was rooting for me to stick to my course. I only knew him as a voice at the other end of the phone that unfailingly sent me my supply of booze across the length and breadth of the city at godforsaken hours. It would be extremely profitable to this man if I started drinking again and yet he wanted me to stay sober. It is these instances of virtuousne #PoojaBhatt #sobrietydiaries #thekindnessofstrangers #goodnessintheworld #sobriety #recovery #gratitude #strength #onestepatatime #onedayatatime #497dayssober #newlife # #deepakwines #integrity #kindness #largesse

A post shared by Pooja B (@poojab1972) on May 4, 2018 at 12:57am PDT

Pooja Bhatt has been very vocal about her battle with alcoholism and she frequently shares posts, which reveal how far she's come and her progress. Recently, she was posted about the irony of having 'saved' an alcoholic father in her debut film Daddy only to battle drinking problem herself.
 

 

'Daddy' was commissioned by the national broadcaster, Doordarshan. Brave of them considering the inherent theme was alcoholism, a topic still considered taboo in our country.The fact that 'Daddy' was rooted in my father's alcoholism is no secret. He himself has openly spoken about it, time and again. But who would have thought that the girl who saved her father from sinking into an alcoholic abyss in her first film would someday have to fight long and hard to prevent herself from drowning as well? Life is stranger than fiction and comes full circle. But it also gives you the opportunity to rewrite your narrative. You just have to be courageous enough to do it yourself. #Daddy #debutfilm #Maheshbhatt #PoojaBhatt #anupamkher #rajzutshi #poojabhatt #doordarshan #autobiographical #filmfromtheheart #relevant #relevantcinema #stilltopical #lifecomesfullcircle #alcohol #alcoholism #bustthestigma #sobriety #sobrietyrocks #sobrietyrockstars #onefromtheheart

A post shared by Pooja B (@poojab1972) on Apr 16, 2018 at 7:37pm PDT

When Pooja Bhatt was trolled and called "a known alcoholic" for calling Amitabh Bachchan out for his no comment comment on the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, she made a spectacular comeback by saying: "A 'recovering' alcoholic and proud of it! In a country where people don't even acknowledge they have a drinking problem, let alone discuss it I am grateful to stand away from the crowd that considers holding your frailties to light shameful."
 

A 'recovering' alcoholic & proud of it!In a country where people don't even acknowledge they have a drinking problem,let alone discuss it I am grateful to stand away from the crowd that considers holding your frailties to light shameful. #485dayssober pic.twitter.com/xDDFW0rD2j

— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) April 22, 2018

Pooja Bhatt is the elder of Mahesh Bhatt's two children with his first wife Kiran. Rahul Bhatt, a fitness enthusiast, is her brother. Actress Alia Bhatt and Shaheen are Pooja's half-sisters (born to Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan).

Pooja Bhatt was among the top crop of actresses in the Nineties and has featured in films such as Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin and Sadak. She is currently busy with the sequel of Sadak.