October 11, 2017
Actress and director Pooja Bhatt says that "Sadak 2", the
sequel of her 1991 hit film "Sadak", deals with the issue of depression.
She was present at a World Mental Health Day event to explore an award-winning
film "The Valley".
"We are making 'Sadak 2' in which we are showing
Sanjay Dutt in his true and present time (Sanjay Dutt is Drug Abuse Survivor) so
we are dealing with issue of depression in that film but we are making a
commercial film," she said.
"We have to make our point and we chose film
as our medium because when you choose a mainstream format then your message goes
deeper and wider," she added.
Mahesh Bhatt directed "Sadak", that was
released in 1991, starred Sanjay Dutt playing the character of a young man in
love with a sex worker (played by Pooja Bhatt) and fights against all odds to be
with her.
Commenting on the recent trend in Bollywood where content
driven films are working at the box-office more than big-budgeted films with a
huge star cast, Pooja said: "Audience has been always smart. We, who call
ourselves experts of the industry, supposedly underestimate the audience and say
that they are not ready to see issue-based films."
"Today, there is no
issue with the audience and filmmaker but I feel now film-making has become a
game of marketing," she added.
Pooja's last produced film "Cabaret",
which starred Richa Chadha and Gulshan Devaiah, was scheduled to release in 2016
but the film is yet to hit the screens.
Pooja says that the film will
release when her partner Bhushan Kumar and Wave Cinemas "fairly and
transparently release payment of my workers."
"I would urge not to
violate my copyrights, then only it will release," she added.
Talking
about the film, "The Valley" which deals with mental health and depression,
Pooja said, "It will surely bring some sort of awareness about mental health. I
want to congratulate Saila Kariat ( the director)."
The film stars Alyy
Khan, Suchitra Pillai-Malik, Samina Peerzada, Barry Corbin, Christa B. Allen and
Jake T. Austin.