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. 

She added by saying, “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.” 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.