Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt Interview

Bold take!

Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has donned many hats. Post the success of Jism 2, she revels in the transition from being in front of the camera to being behind it. She spills the beans about her future plans and how being part of the Bhatt family has shaped her as an individual... Did being an actor help you become a better producer and director? An actor is meant to be selfish because the film industry is an unforgiving place. So, you have to focus on yourself, but I was coming to a phase where I couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted to focus outside myself and that called for a separate path that was creatively more satisfying. I wish I was working as an actress now, as in my time only Sridevi was paid around `25 lakhs. Today I can follow instructions, I know what works on camera. But once an actor, always an actor... Does that mean you want to make a comeback to acting? I would like to act my age. I am proud to be 40 because I have survived with my soul intact which is a difficult thing to do in this industry. If somebody can accommodate my girth and my mirth then I am your woman. I am not going to go under the knife or starve myself for a role. After Paap, Holiday, Dhokha, Kajraare not doing well at the box-office, the success of Jism 2 must have come as a pleasant surprise... Jism 2 was made in seven crores and most of the money went in star fees. After four consecutive flops, it was definitely a welcome relief but I knew exactly what I was doing. Did the challenge of trying to prove a point weigh you down? I can highlight one instance where I refused to get weighed down by other people’s expectations. Most people complained that there weren’t enough sex scenes in Jism 2 and I said please don’t put your perversions on me. The easiest thing that I could have done was put Sunny Leone in the water and make her wear those wet saris. But to take that away and bring out her vulnerable side was the challenge. How has being a part of the Bhatt family shaped you as a person? As long as my father’s thinking cap is on, I am going to shamelessly use it. I am lucky to have the best of both worlds. From Mukesh Bhatt I learnt how to manage production and dad taught me to be fearless. What lies ahead for you? I am working on Cabaret which is a musical. It will explore what transpires when two worlds collide — the world of cabaret and crime. Randeep Hooda will play the lead. It’s not a Chandni Bar kind of a world but is more upmarket. After that I will start work on Jism 3 as I feel there needs to be a breathing space from the prequel. I would love to revisit my father’s film Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain which was banned by the Censor Board earlier. The film, about two men and a prostitute, was banned for its objectionable content but is relevant today. Also, I want to focus on myself now. For the last two years my priority was to make my heroines look good and Pooja Bhatt took a back seat. Now I have already lost six kilos and there are 12 more to go.