Pooja Bhatt has been in the news these days after her interview with a leading daily where she opened up about her alcohol addiction and how she overcame it.

Pooja mentioned in the interview how she was brought up in an Anglo-Indian environment and began drinking at the tender age of 16. She also added how, “Alcohol is comforting, it colours your evening. It’s a socially accepted narcotic even at business lunches and in the boardroom. Also, living in a fast-paced city, being in a high-stress profession, it becomes a reason to celebrate and cope with failure. Your film is a hit, you bathe in champagne, it flops, a single malt lessens the pain”.

But last December, she pulled the plug on alcohol and has been sober ever since. And she confessed it was all because of a text message from her father Mahesh Bhatt which made her rethink about her lifestyle, after which she finally put her foot down and quit to “reclaim the sharper, brighter me which had got watered down”.

But Pooja isn’t the only Bollywood celebrity who has battled addiction. There are several celebrities who’ve been embroiled in controversies related to their addictions which has also affected their career graphs over the years. Here’s taking a look at a few.

Sanjay Dutt

One of the first actors to ever admit that he was addicted to drugs, Sanjay Dutt quit after a few life-changing experiences. He mentioned how he took to drugs due to his shyness with women. But now he propagates how it is better to “be high on life than on any substance. Do good work and get appreciated, there is no better high than that in life”, according to an interview.

Fardeen Khan

There was a big controversy surrounding Fardeen Khan in the year 2001 when he was arrested by the Mumbai police for drug possession after which he underwent a detoxification course. The actor was later on granted bail with immunity in 2012.

Manisha Koirala

Another celebrity to have surrendered to alcohol and drug abuse during her peak years was Manisha Koirala. But after battling and overcoming ovarian cancer, Manisha has finally turned a new leaf and has often spoken about the dangers of drug use.

Rahul Mahajan

He got embroiled in a controversy right after his father Pramod Mahajan passed away. Rahul Mahajan and his father’s secretary Bibek Moitra were in a serious condition after they consumed a lethal combination of cocaine and champagne. While the secretary passed away, Rahul was put on a ventilator until he recovered and was then charged under the NDPS Act.

Prateik Babbar

Last year, actor Prateik Babbar came clean about his struggle with alcohol and substance abuse and revealed how he wasn’t being true to himself and the people he loved. He now encourages people to not turn to drugs or alcohol because it isn’t the answer or the solution to life’s miseries.