Pooja Bhatt

The constant craze of size zero and crash diets is not very good.

I was told that since I am such an opinionated woman, people would think 10 times before approaching me for their films.

Life begins at 40. I could attempt writing. Life is taking me into different directions.

A film based on my life would not be as interesting as my father. I have not lived a life as enriching as my father. I have only been observer to his life, so I think I'm the best person to make a documentary on him.

I would love to make a documentary on my father, Mahesh Bhatt. What is interesting about Bhatt sahab is that he became more interesting personality after he left work.

If someone offers a film, I'm willing to do it if it's something I have not done before or pushes my boundary.

I became more part of the industry after quitting acting. I contribute greatly to the industry, as I bring in talent, provide money in the chain, and make it happen.

I became passionate about filmmaking. The thrill to make something out of nothing and to go out there to see whether it will work or not attracted me.

I stopped acting, as I was not curious about it anymore. I was not passionate about acting.

I need a combination of attitude, sensuality, and vulnerability. I need a new kind of heroine. After Bipasha Basu and Sunny Leone, India now needs an even more unique fantasy figure.

My grandmother, Betty Bertha Bright, lived in the Armenian block in Kolkata. After '36 Chowringhee Lane,' we haven't seen that part of the city in films.

At 45, I am too young to write my memoirs.

When Priyanka Chopra makes a mark for herself internationally, we claim her achievements as our own and then threaten to ban her films and make her apologize for a work of fiction that has been created by someone else. Can we please attempt to be larger than that?

Every person has his or her own journey.

The problem that I find in 'MasterChef India' is that it doesn't look like 'MasterChef Australia.' It doesn't have that kind of mood.

I cook as much as I eat, and I like the aroma that comes out of a kitchen.

I am addicted to watching cookery shows.

I only believe in making movies with integrity.

I don't make projects; I make films.

My father believes that we create stars, and then others cast those stars.

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.

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?

One thing I do not see happening is women of certain age being represented correctly. We have to evolve conceptually.

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.

It is important to change, acknowledge, and accept our mistakes. It's important that we - this goes even for me - introspect and see the wrongs we have done. It's time we all grew up.

It's an unwritten rule that you respect people who've given you breaks. You see somebody's body of work before you take a tone with them. I will talk differently to someone with 18 years of experience and someone with 18 months.

I could not be arm candy to a hero.

No one is immortal. Don't worry too much about your life. Just sing your song... and go.

I wish there were people who gave me roles like my dad did.

Ninety per cent of the crew that work with me are there since my childhood and which is why I do not want to work too much outside - because the people I work with are as important for me as my role.

If you don't have a basic spend on marketing, there is no point releasing the film in theatres.

Most filmmakers looked at it as a medium to palm off sub-standard stuff. I don't look at it like that. Your TV screen, mobile screen is as relevant as a cinema hall.

If there is anybody who can give you a combination of quality and reasonable budget, innovative content and casting, it is me!

'Cabaret' was launched with fanfare, and the songs organically created quite a buzz.

I tried marriage. Do I advocate it? Yes. Marriage is a wonderful institution, provided you meet the right person and you be the right person.

When I married Munna, people didn't give our marriage even two months to survive. But we lasted for 12 years. The first 10 were magical. He's a fair man, a wise man.

A sensitive person is seldom happy with the world the way it is. And since you cannot change it, you think, 'Might as well numb the anguish.' If you're using something to escape reality, then it's something you need to address.

I'm no role model, but I thought if I showed my frailties, which I had turned around into achievement, I could help many others.

Respect is very important in a workplace for every woman, man, and child. We have to make our industry safe for women, men, and children. Everyone should be given equal respect.

For me, movie-making is more than making a 'hit' film. It's about working with a team of people I really respect and doing something that gives me satisfaction.

It's important for me that anything I lend my stamp to must have a perspective that is uniquely mine.

'Dhokha' is a film devoid of any political bias. It conveys to the government that when we talk about individuals who are terrorists, we have to first acknowledge that we created them.

I am only in competition with the people who taught me cinema. I am not in competition with anyone in the industry.

Actors betray. Technicians don't. Movies are made by technicians.

As I grow older, I realise that just because I'm so obsessed with the truth, it doesn't mean that everyone else in my life is equally comfortable with it.

We live in such a narcissistic world where people love to be in front of the camera.

To be an actor, you have to be self-obsessed, but when you are a filmmaker, you get a macro view. Every aspect of making the film is under your purview. And for me, that is a bigger turn-on than just being an actress.

I decided to put my money where my mouth was and make films that I believe in. So even if I failed, I failed on my terms.

People forget that I am the granddaughter of a person named Nanabhai Bhatt, who had made more than 150 odd films. He was the person to introduce the double role phenomenon in Indian movies.

There is no denying the fact that we live in a patriarchal society, and Bollywood is a patriarchal industry for sure. And it is not too fond of women with opinions.