Pooja Bhatt has never been the one to conform to societal norms and conventionality. The actress broke prevalent stereotypes one film at a time. Not only were her choice of films gutsy and feisty but her roles always had an element of spark in them. Since a very young age, just like her father Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja chose the path less travelled. There came brickbats and critiques her way, but nothing could ever deter her spirit and passion for the craft.

Pooja Bhatt
Pooja Bhatt
Pooja Bhatt

From choosing unconventional roles like that in Daddy to producing path-breaking films at a young age, Pooja has always walked her talk. Films like Zakhm, Dushman, Tamanna are a testimony to her keen eye for the craft and the fire to do unconventional work. Now, decades later, we might look at Pooja Bhatt as a trend-setter. The woman who lives life at her own terms and never hesitated from calling a spade, a spade. But, there was a time when she was heavily slammed for posing nude for a magazine cover with her entire body painted. It might have been one of the cult magazine covers now, but back then, people found it hard to digest.

Pooja Bhatt
IANS

When Pooja spoke about the magazine cover

Talking about it, Pooja had said that the cover was lifted from Vanity Fair cover of 1992 where Demi Moore was seen in just body paint with nothing underneath it. She added that when photographer Dinesh Raheja brought the same concept to her she didn't bat an eyelid before saying yes for its innovativeness. "I didn't think twice about doing the cover shoot as I was all of 24, very gutsy and raring to go. I have always loved challenges and action of a different kind. I completely stand by what I did at that age," HT reported her saying.

She also added that though she doesn't regret posing for the cover, she might not be able to do it again. "Although the picture became a huge talking point, there was no backlash of the kind that I later faced for the morphed cover or more recently for my films. I think it had a lot to do with the Bombay bomb blasts and subsequent riots that broke out. When I reflect on the shoot, I don't think I would be able to do it today for various reasons. But I have no regrets about what I did then," she was further quoted saying.