I refused to squeeze Marc Robinson's back: Pooja Bedi on doing Kamasutra ad shoot [Throwback]

Pooja Bedi is not called one of the most sensual figures of the industry for nothing. From her Marilyn Monroe moment in Pehla Nasha from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander to being the first face of a condom brand in the country; Ms Bedi has always made people go weak in the knees.

Not just this, Pooja Bedi has always been one of the front runners when it comes to women expressing their sexuality or the freedom to do so in our country. While we may not bat an eyelid while watching the condom ads on television now, there was a time when the conservative society was not ready to accept it. The ad featuring Pooja Bedi and Marc Robinson was banned on Doordarshan.

The condom brand - Kamasutra - was launched in 1991 by Raymond Limited. It was one of the first explicit ads on the subject. Talking to TOI, Pooja Bedi had once said that the ad was shot in Goa. She added that she was told to be in a shower and Marc Robinson would be featured on a boat. However, it was on the ad shoot set that she got to know Marc was also supposed to join her in the shower. She then added that she was asked to use handshower on Marc and though she was apprehensive she decided to go ahead with it.

However, she added that she was asked to then squeeze Marc's back, which she immediately said no to. She revealed that the hand that is shown touching Marc's back was that of their makeup artist. "I, however, touched him in other ads that we did together," she concluded. In the same interview, Marc Robinson was then seen saying, "I was okay touching anyone in the shower."

On the occasion of the 20^th year of the ad and the success of the brand, the Chairman of Raymond Limited, Gautam Singhania had said, "At the time of its launch, Kamasutra ads faced resistance in the form of accusations of challenging conservative Indian sensibilities. Media channels refused to carry the bold ads. However today, the brand is a success in terms of consumer acceptance."