Pooja Bhatt on wearing body paint for ‘controversial’ magazine cover: Will go viral...

Pooja Bhatt has had her fair share of controversies in Bollywood. The former actress, who was at the peak of her acting career in the 1990s, made headlines after she appeared on the cover of a magazine. She posed topless for the photoshoot and her body was adorned only with body paint. Recently, she opened up about her decision to do the shoot. 

3 things you need to know

• Pooja Bhatt is known for starring in hit films such as Sadak and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, among others. 
• She won her first National Film Award with Tammanna (1997).
• She made her acting comeback in Bombay Begums (2021).

Pooja Bhatt on her controversial photoshoot

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Pooja Bhatt said that this bold move was inspired by a similar magazine cover featuring Demi Moore. Recalling the moment, she decided to go ahead with the shoot. Pooja explained that she was drawn to the aesthetics of Demi's original photograph. She said that she never perceived her photoshoot as "something controversial". 

(A glimpse of Pooja Bhatt from her photoshoot | Image: Reddit)

Pooja stated that her actions were driven by intent and not a calculated plan to create a viral sensation. She said, "It's about neeyat (intent). I thought it was aesthetic, and I just did it like that. It was not pre-planned that, 'Oh, this will go viral.' These words didn't exist in those times. We did things organically. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Sometimes it used to get controversial, so we had to keep our head low, and sometimes people really liked it."

Pooja Bhatt on her 'open' attitude towards media

Pooja Bhatt shared her perspective on her open attitude towards the media during her controversial days. She explained that as long as her parents, including Mahesh Bhatt, did not disapprove of her actions, she saw no reason to hide anything. She believed that if her parents knew who she was and what she was doing, and they approved, there was no need to keep it from the media. She added that this approach allowed her to be transparent about her life choices.