More than 35 years after ‘Aashiqui’ became a defining romance in Hindi cinema, actor Pooja Bhatt revealed that the film was inspired by the extraordinary real-life love story of his parents, the filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Lorraine Bright, who later changed her name to Kiran Bhatt.Pooja said the 1990 blockbuster drew heavily from the early days of her parents’ relationship, which began when they were teenagers. He said on Cyrus Broacha’s podcast, “Aashiqui is based on the love story of my mother and father. My mother was in a Scottish orphanage, and my father lived in a building across from it. He saw her during a sports day event, jumped over the wall to meet her, and got caught.”The incident led to an unforgettable exchange with her grandmother, Betty Bertha Bright. “My grandmother called, and she said, ‘Listen, I just sent my youngest son to boarding school.He revealed that the consequences were dire. Her mother was kicked out of the orphanage, after which Mahesh Bhatt took responsibility for her. “She got kicked out of school because of it, and my dad took it as his responsibility. He took her to the YWCA and forged a letter saying she was a working woman so she could stay there. She got a job at Grover’s Vineyard. She only knew two bus routes—one to work and one back home.“Pooja added that the film closely reflects that chapter in the life of her parents. “She took care of him when he was young. She is 77 now, he is 74. Aashiqui is based on it. I might have played my mother’s role.”He also revealed that even though Mahesh Bhatt and his uncle Mukesh Bhatt Wanted to star in ‘Aashiqui’, she turned down the offer as her ex-boyfriend didn’t want her to pursue acting. Interestingly, Pooja’s account echoes what Mahesh Bhatt himself shared during an emotional conversation on his podcast last year, where he recounted the beginning of his romance with Lorraine.Bhatt told Pooja in his podcast, “I was 16 years old, she was 14 years old. She lived in an orphanage, because her mother did not have the means to keep her as a day scholar. One day, I saw this beautiful girl standing with her friends at the gate of Bombay Scottish. There was something about him that drew me to him. But somehow, love is preceded by feelings of unworthiness.”Unable to meet Lorraine in public, Mahesh enlists the help of a tailor who sews school uniforms to secretly deliver his letters.He added, “Touched by her beauty and charm, I begged her to take my letter to her. She expressed the danger of doing so because if she was caught, she would lose her job. But she is a generous person, so she took my letter and I am waiting for her answer. And then he did! I wrote to him in blood and he wrote back in blood.”Their secret romance, however, did not remain hidden for long. “All hell broke loose, and the tailor lost his job, and Lorraine got kicked out of school.”Mahesh recalled that Lorraine’s mother was understandably upset, but she promised to take care of her daughter. She forged her father’s signature to secure accommodation for Lorraine at the YWCA, where she later trained as a receptionist and telephone operator.Years later, the relationship turned sour when Mahesh fell in love with the actor Parveen Babi. “I really believe in fairytale love, but I fell into a relationship with Parveen Babi.” He remembers confessing the affair to Lorraine while their daughter Pooja slept nearby. “I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, ‘All your life you hated your father for keeping your mother like another woman. What have you done?'”Reflecting on the collapse of their relationship, he admitted, “My fairytale romance was reduced to ashes.”After his relationship with Parveen ended, Mahesh found love with the actor again Soni Razdan and decided to marry again. Before breaking the news to Lorraine, he chose to talk to Pooja first. Recalling that conversation, Pooja said, “I saw you sitting on the edge of my bed and telling me about the girl you met, Soni, and the fact that you were going to marry her and move out.Mahesh also recalled assuring his daughter that her decision would not affect his relationship with her at all. “You remember when I told you that I won’t live here and please don’t make it the wrong thing to reject you. There is another woman in my life, but I love you. And I will always take care of your mother and this house. I can’t thank you enough for that expression because you look at me, and I think that you don’t judge me,” he said. Despite their separate ways, Mahesh and Lorraine continue to respect each other. Pooja recalls that when some people questioned the legitimacy of Mahesh’s marriage to Soni Razdan, her mother defended her. Pooja revealed, “When they question the legitimacy of your marriage, and they say, ‘Who gave permission?’ I will never forget, my mother got up and said, ‘Who gave permission? I gave permission. He has my blessing.'”