Protima's naked run

Cine Blitz was the new magazine to be launched in the market in the year 1974. What probably could give it a flying start? The whopping idea came from The Big Chief of Blitz, Russi Karanjia, a great stickler for cleavage on the cover. He said, "Catch an actress streaking."

Cine Blitz was the new magazine to be launched in the market in the year 1974, which already had Stardust ruling the roost.

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What probably could give it a flying start? The whopping idea came from The Big Chief of Blitz, Russi Karanjia, a great stickler for cleavage on the cover. He said, "Catch an actress streaking and put her in Cine Blitz."

The idea stuck. But who would do it ? Rita Mehta, Russi Karanjia's daughter and the editor of Cine Blitz suggested Protima Bedi.

Says Rita, "I asked her if she would streak across the streets of Mumbai and she agreed. We decided upon doing it early in the morning when the roads are deserted.

The venue chosen was near the Flora Fountain in Mumbai. Taiyeb Badshah was the photographer.

We had the first photosession at the Flora Fountain. But Protima was unhappy with the pictures. She said that her breasts were sagging and she asked for a reshoot.

So, the other shoot was done at the Juhu Beach. But it is unfortunate that for a woman who has otherwise always been so forthright and frank should want to hide this."

Mahesh Bhatt who also belonged to their group and was a close friend of Kabir Bedi said: "The streaking was meant to be a liberated, progressive statement endorsing the view that one is free to express oneself how one wants. But when Protima saw that her freedom of expression was looking like a publicity stunt for a magazine, she probably backtracked and gave the version that the picture was taken when she was part of a nudist camp in Goa and later the image was superimposed on a backdrop of a beach in Bombay."