"I stopped acting as I was not curious about it anymore. I was not passionate about acting. I became passionate about filmmaking. The thrill to make something out of nothing and to go out there to see whether it will work or not attracted me. But today, I feel the need to act again," Pooja said at an event here on Thursday.
"I feel the need to go out there in front of the camera and let go as acting is all about letting go.I will be there very soon guys," Pooja added.
The daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt shared her oscillating interest towards acting at a session on day two of Jagran Film Festival here. The five-day film gala was being held in Siri Fort Auditorium.
The actress forayed into Bollywood with 1989 film "Daddy" and continued to wow with films like "Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin", "Sadak", "Sir", "Zakhm" and "Tamanna". In 2004, she stepped behind the camera to direct "Paap", followed by "Dhokha", "Kajraare" and "Jism 2". Pooja last featured in "Everybody Says I'm Fine!" in 2001.
The 43-year-old noted that she found a place in the heart of film industry after quitting acting.
"I became more part of the industry after quitting acting. I contribute greatly to the industry as I bring in talent, provide money in the chain and make it happen.
During the making of 'Kabhi Na Kabhi', I realised that the process of filmmaking interests me and want to do more actively," said Pooja, who was one of the jury members for the "Indian showcase" category in the sixth edition of the film festival.
The actress was ready to explore new dimensions of acting, but on her conditions. "I'm here. But I don't need to sell myself. If someone offers a film, I'm willing to do it if it's something I have not done before or pushes my boundary," she added.