Men don't age in India: says Pooja Bhatt
Mumbai, Jan 11: Actor-director Pooja Bhatt believes women start blooming in their forties but somehow they are not represented correctly on the screen whereas men continue to play characters half their age.
Pooja, who is returning to the silver screen after a gap of 18 years with "Sadak 2", had said goodbye to acting but then it pulled her back.
"I had said bye-bye to acting in a way but once an actor always an actor. Life has got other plans for me. Like I did not want to be an actor, I wanted to be an architect or astronaut and 'Daddy' happened and the rest is history.
"I felt I was happy being in the back, launching people like Sunny Leone, repackaging Richa Chadda, John Abraham but life had other plans and it includes 'Sadak 2' and a web series," Pooja told PTI in an interview.
Known for her films such as "Daddy", "Sadak" and "Zakhm", Pooja will reprise her role in the sequel of "Sadak", that marks the return of her filmmaker father Mahesh Bhatt to direction.
Pooja, whose last film as an actor was "Everybody Says I'm Fine" in 2001, will also be seen in a web series based on Abheek Barua's book called 'A City of Death'. Set in Kolkata, the story revolves around an alcoholic female cop in her 40s, who is sent to investigate a crime of passion.
"Sadak 2", Sanjay Dutt and Pooja will be seen playing the older couple while Pooja's younger sister Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur are the young pair.
"I am glad when I am coming back to acting I am getting to play my age," Pooja said.
"One thing I do not see happening is women of certain age being represented correctly. We have to evolve conceptually. Men don't age in India. Women who are younger then them are suddenly playing the role of a mother," she said.
The actor said she also played the role of Ajay Devgn's mother in 1999 film "Zakhm" because the role demanded it but she would not play the role of a mother just for the sake of it.
As an actor and producer, Pooja said she has always taken risks.
"One woman who I think is great is Vidya Balan, her casting in 'The Dirty Picture' was very exciting. Let's break new grounds, let's think beyond the usual. Why can't a woman who plays a mother, also play a lover, or why a lover can't play a villain?"
Citing the example of American actor-producer Sharon Stone, Pooja, 46, said why can't writers write about women beyond a certain age.
"Where is India's Sharon Stone? How come women in Hollywood come to their own, post their 40s? I feel that's when you actually bloom... Why are men allowed to come to their own at 40s and 50s and women are expected to bury themselves at this age," she added.
Pooja said, personally, her 40s have been more exciting than her 30s.
"I found my feet in my 40s, got divorced at 40, two years of drinking and then at 42, I became sober. My 30s were the most boring phase. When you are in your 40s, you know your mind, body, you know what you want to do and you are not impressed with the usual bulls**t that the world gives you. You don't care about people's opinion and you do what you want to do," she said.
Pooja is currently promoting her film "Cabaret", which has been in the making for sometime and was supposed to release in 2016. It got delayed due to her differences with the producers over its release.
"One of our partners wanted to minimise the cost of print and advertising and I was not in agreement with it. We decided to not release it then. The two years time period then seemed difficult, long and dark but the universe was conspiring for us to give it a right platform. At that time if we would have released it in theatres, the film would have come and gone and nobody would have known about it."
"Cabaret" is streaming on ZEE5 from January 5 and the actor-producer is happy with it's digital release.
"Our standards keep changing. Cinema hall is a cinema hall but it is not the holy grail anymore. My phone has become my cinema hall and we need to understand and respect this new medium.
"Who dreamt that 20 years ago, there will be digital streaming? It is like a new dawn. I am glad I am a part of it," she added.
Directed by Kaustav Narayan Niyogi, the film revolves around a bar dancer, played by Richa Chadha.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
