Aishwarya hid the truth, says Bhandarkar

Madhur Bhandarkar, director of the now shelved film 'Heroine', breaks his silence and talks about the entire controversy that broke out after Amitabh Bachchan announced Aishwarya's impending motherhood on Twitter.

When the producers of 'Heroine' learnt that their lead actress was five months pregnant, they decided to take a rain check. The producers have still not said whether they will go ahead with the film with another lead actress or wait for Aishwarya to deliver her baby and get back into shape and only then resume shooting.

Meanwhile, much hullabaloo followed the news and reports about Bhandarkar being very upset and Ash wanting to still do the film were heard, reported Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day. The director chose to remain silent while the controversy was at its peak. However, the filmmaker has finally decided to tell the world his side of the story, says the daily.

He told the tabloid:

"Today I am sitting alone in my office after the plugs being pulled off. No which way would I have trampled my dream project on which I have given my sweat and blood for almost one and a half years. This was going to be my most ambitious project.

My inherent belief is that motherhood is pious. I salute every woman who chooses to work in this delicate state but I would never knowingly put a woman in harm's way knowing the delicate nature of her health.

The lead actress is the main protagonist of Heroine. We need to state this is no normal film. The film entails a huge canvas of around 40 locations in which heavy-duty scenes involving massive crowds are to be shot.

Scenes of the actress being mobbed... adult content... heavy-duty scenes involving physical exertion. One of the days amongst the eight days shoot... one of my associate directors tripped and injured himself... the terrain was rocky.
 
Today, when I know the condition of my then lead actress, I shudder at the thought... what if she would have been injured; I would have suffered a major guilt throughout my life.

Can't work in this state
The lead actress was required to smoke on screen, but even if she chose not; there are other actors smoking in the same frame entailing to passive smoking, which would prove detrimental to a pregnant woman's health.

The entire event would not have taken place if at the beginning the actress had informed of an impending maternity. The truth was hidden from us.

We learnt about it from news channels like the rest of the world. Filmmaking functions on faith and trust.

The film was announced in Cannes on May 13 while we commenced shooting on June 7. There was a gap of 24 days, if we had known the truth things could have been reworked.

This decision of pulling the plug had a devastating effect on me. I was in shock and depression. I could not come to the office for eight days for the fear of facing those people whose bread and butter depended on the film.

It was a collective decision of the producers to pull off the plug. It takes a heart of steel to take such a hard decision.

I am still reeling in a state of shock, but chose to remain silent all these days. Now am coerced into breaking my silence, as I realise that truth deserves to be told."

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