Indians are comfortable when women become Sita: Pooja

Mumbai, Dec 21 (IANS) 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 here.

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."