We don't treat women as commodities in our films: Mahesh Bhatt

The Bhatt camp may have delivered bold content in their movies like Murder, Jism, Raaz, but veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt insists they have never treated women as commodities in their films.

"I have never looked at women as commodities. Like in my film Arth we showed a woman who deconstructs the institution of marriage. Zakhm was about a woman who chose to stay outside marriage," he told reporters in Mumbai on Monday.

"In Murder it was about a woman who decides to fulfil her desires as her husband was not giving her what she was looking for," Bhatt said at an event where the first look of Murder 3 was launched.

The filmmaker maintained that they did not treat actress Mallika Sherawat (who featured in the first of the series) as a commodity.

"Our film Murder has not treated women like commodities. Mallika Sherawat was the architect of her destination. Our new offering Murder 3 shows the women of today," the 63-year-old said.

The third instalment in the Murder series is directed by Mukesh Bhatt's son Vishesh. The film, starring Randeep Hooda and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead, will release next month.