Poonam says she will be wearing sarees throughout the film.
`I am inspired by Smita Patil in Subah and Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivum Sunderam. A lot of our very big actresses carry of the saree so beautifully. But I feel I can carry it off with the simplicity of Smitaji andthe sensuality of Zeenatji. `
The film that Rajpal will direct would feature Poonam as a semi-rural girl.
`I will be draping the saree in a completely new style. It would be as innovative as Saira Banuji's look in that old film Shagird. And no more skin show for me. `
In what must rank as her most candid confession Ms Pandey told this writer, `All that sensationalism was just a marketing strategy. That isn't really me. I was a girl with no background in the entertainment industry. I needed to get noticed. I think I succeeded in that. `
Now for her film career Poonam has other plans. `Those who have seen Nasha are surprised by how little skin-show there is in the film. Even the love-making is negligible. I was attracted to the script of Nasha because it was an emotional subject. And it gave me a chance to act. `
Poonam surprises me by admitting she is a trained actress. `I've gone to acting school. I've done theatre. I always wanted to be an actress. But I got embroiled in this whole image created by my marketing team. Let me say, I'm very proud of that image. If I am noticed and if I get attention it's because of that image. `
But now Poonam desires a different image for cinema. `If I am doing cinema I can't be doing more of the same thing I'm known for. I need to move on. Nasha was not a skin-fest. `
For her next film Poonam is on the look-out for an even more performance-oriented role. `I am getting lots of offers. But I want to be very careful about my second film. I believe the second film is far more career-making than the first. `
She now wants to work with high-profile mainstream directors like Imtiaz Ali, Rohit Shetty and Shoojit Sircar.
The offers coming Poonam's way are largely require her to shed clothes. `I want people to recognize me for my acting. I don't want to do sexy roles just for the sake of being in movies. I already have popularity as a pinup girl. If I am doing movies I better taky my career forward. `
Pausing to ponder over the perks of being Poonam Pandey the shocker-turned-actress remarks, `My film debut became a success in spite of all the politics that it had to face. Big production houses made sure my film didn't get a multiplex release. In spite of this Nasha got an audience through single theatres. I think I've proved my point. `
Then comes the Pandey-esque punchline. `I see more politics in the Mumbai film industry than in Delhi's political circles. `