Indians are comfortable when women become Sita: Pooja Bhatt

Actress-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt says that in India people are comfortable when a woman becomes Sita or Savitri but when she acts like Goddess Kali, then they have problems.

Pooja attended a press conference along with her father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt for the success of their radio show Bhatt Naturally on Wednesday.

She is known for speaking her heart out and not taking nonsense from anybody.

Asked why she gets angry sometimes, Pooja said: "Unfortunately, when a woman talks with a clear stance then people feel that she is getting angry but when Maheshji speaks in a certain tone then people feel that he is very intense in his thought process."

"But when a woman is somewhat beautiful and if she is clear about her sexuality and says 'No' clearly then people wonder why she is getting angry. People want me to be subservient saying 'I don't know what I want'.

"But the thing is I know what I want and most importantly, I know what I don't want. In India, we are very comfortable when a woman becomes Sita or Savitri but when a woman acts like Kali ma then we have problems with it, so I am mixture of these opposite personalities," she added.

If people don't agree with her opinions or don't want to listen to her then they should switch off their radio, she suggested.

"But I live and think the way I want to because in that, unfortunately, I don't have any choice as this is my nature. I feel this is the example of a patriarchal society where you want to see me smile but you don't want to see the fury of a woman's nature. You want to see only passive side of a woman," said Pooja.

"Bhatt Naturally" is a show where Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt talk about issues like extramarital affairs and sex.

Asked what tempted her to do this radio show, she said: "I think it was very selfish. Bhatt Saab (Mahesh Bhatt) rightly said ‘Man is nothing but memories', so with this, I am getting an opportunity to spend time with my father. The time which I spend with my father is my inheritance and not some flat or money or some film."

"The time I have on this show with my father is permanently going to be there. I feel each voice has its own face, so when you listen to yourself on the radio, you ask yourself 'Is this really me?' I am only doing this show simply because it gives me an opportunity to make memories with my father.

"I think when we are able to express opinions without any PR machinery in front of an audience, it is really amazing, so I am grateful to 98.3 FM Radio Mirchi for that."

On her future projects, she said: "I am writing my first book. I am also doing a digital show that I am acting in and I am making Sadak 2. I have a radio show, digital show, novel and I have a feature film."

Sharmila, Madhubala taught me to be myself: Sunny Leone

Actress Sunny Leone says yesteryear stars like Madhubala, Sharmila Tagore and Dimple Kapadia taught her to not make any changes in her personality.

Sunny tweeted a few throwback photographs of the veteran actresses as well as of Mandakini, Rekha and Zeenat Aman. She credited them as her idols.

"A few women in Bollywood who have taught me that it's perfectly okay to be myself. Sharmila Tagore, Mandakini, Dimple Kapadia, Rekha, Zeenat Aman and Madhubala," Sunny captioned the images.

Sunny, known for playing bold roles in films, started her career in Bollywood with the 2012 film Jism 2. She went on to appear in films like "Ragini MMS 2", "Hate Story 2", Mastizaade and Baadshaho.

She was last seen alongside Arbaaz Khan in Tera Intezaar, which released earlier this month.

CBFC to set up historians' panel on Padmavati, may not release before March

The Central Board of Film Certification is likely to appoint a panel of historians to watch Padmavati, after the makers of the movie stated that it was partially based on historical facts, according to sources.

The Padmavati team, which was hoping to get a quick censor clearance after the Gujarat elections may be in for disappointing news.

Source at the censor board said that the makers of Padmavati had "unnecessarily complicated its case" with an ambiguous disclaimer in its application for certification which stated that the film was partially based on historical facts.

"The content will now have to be scrutinised for authenticity," the source said declining to be named. The film had earlier been sent back to the producers after it was found that the column for stating whether it was a work of fiction or was based on historical facts was left blank.

There were protests against the movie by some fringe Hindutva outfits which said it was "insulting to Rajput pride." Several politicians then weighed in saying they won't allow the release of the movie in Rajasthan.

The source in the CBFC said that Padmavati could only be certified in January, since December was almost over. "We have not scheduled the film. There are at least 40 feature films in different languages waiting in the queue before Padmavati," the source said.

Because of the year-end, some board members were on holiday and a few others had called in sick. "Forget about appointing a panel of historians, we don't even have a normal Examining Committee to view all the films," the source said.

"Even by conservative estimates the film won't be certified before the second week of January. I don't think they can release the film before March or April. That is, provided the CBFC clears the film without any objection," the source said.

with inputs from IANS