Should actresses sign the “No Pregnancy Clause”?

Actress Vidya Balan has been replaced by Kangna Ranaut in Sujoy Ghosh’s next film due to her pregnancy. Well it has as yet not been confirmed as yet, but Bollywood actresses have been replaced due to a pregnancy. Kareena Kapoor had replaced Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in ‘Heroine’, after director Madhur Bhandarkar learnt that Ash was pregnant.

According to sources, Vidya Balan’s  pregnancy rumours have once again raised the issue of getting a no pregnancy clause signed by the actresses. Mukesh Bhatt, who is producing ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ starring Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi, says, “It is mandatory to have a “no pregnancy clause” as the actress needs to show her commitment towards a project. It is a healthy clause and is needed in today’s times. I don’t think Vidya is pregnant. She would’ve told us if she was expecting. I have complete faith in her; she will not keep anyone in the dark. And even if she is pregnant, I am happy for her.”

Sources further added that, now-a-days  a lot of money is riding on films so the stakes today are higher than in the earlier days. Lawyer Ameet Naik, a legal consultant to many producers, says that a no pregnancy clause is a must.

“The idea is to secure the producer for making a significant investment for his film’s production. The lead actress of a film conceiving during the filming schedule can cause irreparable damage to all stakeholders of the film. Also, there is no insurance cover for such a contingency.”