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Anu Aggarwal, may have debuted in Mahesh Bhatt’s Aashiqui, playing a coy and innocent Anu, but she took the audience by surprise by baring it all and doing a bold topless scene in the short film The Cloud Door. The 1994 short Indo-German drama film, directed by acclaimed Indian director Mani Kaul, also premiered at The Cannes Film Festival later. While the short film got critical acclaim and travelled to several film festivals like the International Film Festival of India, Munich Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival and New York Film Festival, the bold scene where Anu was required to go topless was only shot after the film had already been selected for the Cannes. Anu, in a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, revealed that she was shocked when Mani asked her to shoot the scene as it was not a part of the original script
Initially, Anu rejected the idea, as it was not included in the original script. She was caught off guard by the topless scene, which was not mentioned when she first reviewed the script. On the 29th day of filming, the director unexpectedly introduced the scene, leaving her in disbelief. “While we were shooting, the entire 30-day shoot was almost complete. On the 29th day or so, he came and told me about this scene, saying it would be a night shoot. I was shocked. I asked, ‘What do you mean?’ I told him, ‘This wasn’t in the script. Based on that, I won’t do it.’ It’s not that I couldn’t do it, but I chose not to,” she explained.
#Throwback My cloud door got released in Cannes Film Festival, got rave reviews in 40 #internationalfilmfestivals A rare occurrence in 1995 when India was ignored by the world. My last film I am #grateful I left #movies in style🙏 #ThursdayThoughts #actor pic.twitter.com/058o1dVhXO
— Anu Aggarwal (@anusualauthor) April 30, 2020
Reflecting on the situation, Anu said, “No, I didn’t know this was going to be a part. This wasn’t in the script when I heard it. When it was mentioned, I refused. I had refused because it wasn’t in the script. While we were shooting, the entire 30-day shoot was almost complete. On the 29th day or so, he came and told me about this scene, saying it would be a night shoot. I was shocked. I asked, ‘What do you mean?’ I told him, ‘This wasn’t in the script. Based on that, I won’t do it.’ It’s not that I couldn’t do it, but I chose not to.”
Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal in Aashiqui. (Express archive photo)
She continued, “Anyway, we finished the shoot and returned home to Mumbai. About a month later, I started questioning myself. I wondered why I had refused the scene. I kept questioning myself. Then I thought, ‘No, it was unethical. It should have been part of the script.’ When you narrate the entire script, you should mention everything, including such scenes. That way, I could have made an informed choice.”
Aashiqui star Anu Aggarwal at 21
Additionally, Anu shared her thoughts on public nudity, stating, “Being topless in public is not something everyone does every day. It’s a different thing.” A month later, the director contacted her, informing her that the film had been selected but insisting that the scene remain. Surprised, Anu reflected, “What does it mean to her if I go topless?” Ultimately, she agreed to film the scene, despite her reservations. “It made me so sad because I felt that if it was about the film, I could have taken a break from it. If I was the lead, I would obviously cover myself up, but as an actor, this was a challenge, so I accepted it. I said, ‘I will do it.’”
In 2022, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh did a much publicised nude photoshoot for Paper Magazine, irking many. It followed a barrage of police complaints and television debate on prime time. When asked about Ranveer’s shoot, Anu, commented, “I think it is all good. A man, an actor needs to be daring. I think we cross our barriers as actors when we do such things… not just getting nude or naked, but also being able to cry openly in front of the camera.”
The actor, while speaking about his photoshoot told the magazine “It’s so easy for me to be physically naked, but in some of my performances I’ve been d**n f**king naked. You can see my f**king soul. How naked is that? That’s being actually naked. I can be naked in front of a thousand people, I don’t give a sh*t. It’s just that they get uncomfortable.”
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