Bipasha Basu is not as safe as she was 10 yrs ago, says Mahesh Bhatt

A lot of films like 'The Dirty Picture' or the upcoming release 'Heroine' revolves around the meteoric rise and downfall of a superstar or a supermodel. Vikram Bhatt's directorial venture, 'Raaz 3' also appears to be similar, as it focuses on two actresses - Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta -- with Emraan Hashmi playing the role of a director.

"The need for Bollywood stories is enormous, people are enchanted with it. There is a reality of the industry that we know. We have given the film a horror idiom by including black magic. The story is very much true," Bhatt said in an interview. "It also coincides with Bipasha Basu's life where she is feeling the breath of extinction as the younger girls have come in who may elbow her out.

Today Bipasaha is not as safe as she was 10 years ago when she came into the industry," he said. Releasing September 7, 'Raaz 3' talks about the turbulent times of an actress, played by Bipasha and how she begins to turn to black magic to destroy a budding star (Esha) and get back the man (Emraan) she loves. The tag line of 'Raaz 3' states 'When desire becomes evil'.

"There is a fierce competition that exists among film stars and their appetite to stay on top can make them do anything. We have known people in the industry who have conned or have gone to the extent of killing their associate," the 63-year-old filmmaker said. 'Raaz 3' also has some references of director Vikram Bhatt's life. "Vikram came from a very vulnerable point in his life. He had just come out of a traumatised relationship with an actress," Bhatt said.

However, he clarified that they were not looking to malign the image of the actress through their film. "It was not to malign the girl. It was to show how we as human beings in the world of entertainment are so pathetic when it comes to losing it. Whether it is the heart breaking story of Rajesh Khanna spiralling down into the abyss or it is Vikram's own beloved girl who would throw a fit in the middle of the night because she feels that she is losing her stardom," Bhatt said.

"All this is somewhere a part of our industry. Celebrities flashing at parties and premiers are not the same in real life," he said. Earlier, Jacqueline Fernandez was to be part of 'Raaz 3' but due to certain reasons she chose to walk out. "Jacqueline was going to do the film. Post 'Murder 2' she had some reservations with the kind of clothes that Vikram wanted her to dress up in.

He felt that there is basic discomfort that had sunk in her mind," Bhatt said. "There is a certain amount of erotica in the film which is necessary. We gracefully parted ways. Jacqueline has complete right to a say a no if she is uncomfortable," he said.