"Tamanna" was awarded the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues in 1996. Pooja had produced it while Mahesh Bhatt had directed it.
"I know that if I made 'Tamanna' today, I wouldn't have received just critical acclaim, but it would have also been a money-spinner. I would have got the right audience and it is a very relevant film. I got the National award for it," the 42-year-old said here Sunday at the closing ceremony of the fifth Jagran film festival.
Pooja added that it was tough to sustain with such an off-beat film in those days.
"Today's time is an exciting time for filmmakers. When I made my first film 'Tamanna', I was 21 and there were no multiplexes and no platforms like these festivals. I had to release the film in the Metro cinema, which just had a capacity of 1500. It was very difficult to sustain in those days," she said.
Pooja turned director with "Paap" in 2003 and is currently working on her next film "Cabaret".