Actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has revisited one of the most talked-about moments of her career, opening up about the famous body-paint magazine cover that generated widespread discussion in the 1990s. Speaking about the photoshoot decades later, Pooja clarified that the image was never intended to be provocative or controversial. In a conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Pooja recalled how the idea first came to her through journalist Dinesh Raheja and photographer Jagdish Mali.
Pooja Bhatt recalls creating her Demi Moore-inspired body-paint cover: “I was not naked in the photograph”
“I received a lot of flak from one section of people and a lot of love from another. But for me, it was never designed to be controversial. Dinesh Raheja, a journalist for whom I still have a great deal of respect, showed me the cover of Vanity Fair featuring Demi Moore. Jeetu and Dinesh came to meet me and said, ‘Pooja, look at this cover.’ I thought it was stunning. Demi Moore looked glorious. They said they wanted to recreate something similar and asked if I would do it. I said, ‘Sure.’ When I asked who would do the body painting, they said Anna Singh would,” she said.
The actor revealed that the photoshoot happened after a long day on set while she was filming the song ‘Tere Dar Par Sanam’ from Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee. “I finished work around 9.30 pm and then went to Jagdish Mali’s house. They painted me and we did the shoot. After that, I completely forgot about it,” she recalled.
However, the reaction changed dramatically once the magazine hit the stands. “The magazine came out and there was mayhem. But then an unfortunate incident took place in the city. One of the most horrific tragedies happened, the bomb blasts. Naturally, people had far more important things to worry about than a woman who had chosen to paint her body,” she said.
Addressing a misconception that has followed the image for years, Pooja stressed that she was not nude during the photoshoot. “I was not naked in the photograph. In Demi Moore’s case, the cover referred to a ‘birthday suit’, which meant she was naked underneath the paint. I was not. I was wearing underwear because we knew exactly where the line was and we chose not to cross it.”
The actor acknowledged that the concept may have seemed bold at the time but maintained that she never approached it with the intention of creating controversy. “I suppose it was audacious and unthinkable for many people. But I simply did it because I liked the idea that was presented to me. I trusted the people I was working with and went ahead with it. The idea was never to be controversial. It was just me being my authentic self,” she explained.
Looking back, Pooja admitted she is surprised that the image continues to be discussed decades later. “Very recently, it was brought up again and people started calling it a cult image. But you can’t create something like that by design. I was simply being my authentic self. The problem is that we are living in a world full of lies, so truth itself has become controversial today.”
The photograph, shot for Movie magazine, featured body painting by designer Anna Singh and was captured by acclaimed photographer Jagdish Mali.
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