Home » Entertainment  » Bollywood Baatein »  'Bhatt'er than the rest She's the woman with a fiercely independent streak. She's the woman with chutzpah. She's the woman who has laid down her own ground rules. And, it's not been easy. But who is complaining?

Pooja Bhatt broke most conventions laid down for an archetypal Hindi film heroine. She chose roles that other image conscious actresses wouldn't touch with a bargepole. She ignored the media sharks but posed nude on a magazine cover on a dare. She had a string of high profile relationships and gave a damn what the world thought. But, this quintessential rebel was really not looking to make a statement when she took the plunge into film production.

Pooja Bhatt turned producer four years ago with the hard hitting, off beat 'Tamanna.' So, the obvious question was why the switch from acting to production? Bhatt says that she was growing increasingly frustrated as an actress. In the Hindi film set up, the meaty roles for a female character are few and far between. So, rather than take up the two dance-three scene routine, Bhatt turned to production. And to 'Tamanna'.

`Tamanna' was, as Bhatt says, a subject that was sensitive, thought provoking and bold. So, Bhatt decided to put her money where her mouth was and went on to produce her first film. 'Tamanna' based on a true-life story of a hijra or eunuch.

Hijras, who live at the fringes of Indian society, usually share a quixotic relation with other social classes. The ambiguity of being a Hijra- who is both revered and reviled- has never really been tackled on the Indian screen. A traditionally reductionist approach has meant a stereotyping, an over-the-top garish exhibitionism, that is both unfair and false to most eunuchs.

Pooja Bhatt not only produced Tamanna, she acted in it as well. The film was very well received and Paresh Rawal in the lead role won plaudits for his bravura performance as a eunuch.

Encouraged by the response to 'Tamanna', Bhatt continued in her efforts to produce quality cinema dealing with social issues. Bhatt picked up her Second National Award, this time for 'Zakhm.' 'Zakhm', which is loosely based on the life of Bhatt's father (director Mahesh Bhatt), looks at communalism and the political compulsions that drive religious differences.

President K.R. Narayanan presented Bhatt with the Nargis Dutt Award for the Best Film on National Integration at the National Awards' ceremony held in New Delhi earlier this year. "Awards are always gratifying and I feel really proud to be the youngest producer around," Bhatt intoned.

This is one young woman whose much 'bhatt'er than the rest!