Umair Zafar: “Mahesh Bhatt has become a brand ambassador for pornography in India”

As told to Frank Franklyn – MumbaiWire.in

Producer director Mahesh Bhatt has come under heavy criticism for his overtures towards Sunny Leone from members of his own fraternity. Fashion designer Umair Zafar, veteran actress of more than 150-plus films Poonam Dasgupta and starlet Ameesha Yadav of the Indian Artistes and Actors Forum (IAAF) besides several others have severely criticized Mahesh Bhatt.

Says Umair Zafar, “I heard on Tv yesterday that Mr Mahesh Bhatt is planning to cast porn star Sunny Leone for one of his upcoming films and that he would be visiting the Bigg Boss house to meet with her. All this was surprising because, we consider Bhatt a serious film maker, who has tried to raise issues and subjects like minorities and the suffering of the weaker sections of society and the ills of prostitution etc. The interview of Mahesh Bhatt which I saw and heard on TV sounded like Mahesh Bhatt had suddenly become Sunny Leone’s publicist or PRO – the way he was defending her choice of profession. Mahesh Bhatt has started promotion and brand building for porn stars, and I think he should become the Brand Ambassador for the Porn Industry in India. He can probably make more money that way than his films have made till today.”

Adds Umair Zafar, “I have heard that Sanjay Dutt doesn’t want his own daughter to get into main stream Hindi cinema or Bollywood, but I am surprised that he is hosting a family show with a porn star as a participant. He is not bothered about the cultural sensibilities of our country or its impact on minors and youngsters who have started searching specifically for Sunny Leone on the internet. Salman Khan too needs to take a stand on the issue. He is a star whose films are always appreciated by the entire family. He needs to understand the impact of getting associated with a porn star and the change that his image as a family entertainer could take.”