no place for pregnant actresses in Bollywood?

Pregnancy is turning out to be a bane rather than boon in Bollywood. After the infamous fallout of Madhur Bhandarkar-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in 2011, there are reports that director Sujoy Ghosh has also replaced his favourite actress Vidya Balan with Kangana Ranaut in his upcoming film Durga Rani Singh'.

Sujoy Ghosh, who has worked with Vidya Balan in Kahaani', is now all set to roll out his next film titled Durga Rani Singh' with Bollywood's Queen' Kangana.

Also Read: Has Sujoy Ghosh signed Kangna Ranaut for Durga Rani Singh'

Everyone expected Sujoy Ghosh to sign his Kahaani' star, however according to reports, Sujoy has replaced Vidya Balan because of her rumoured pregnancy. Vidya Balan has been spotted frequently at a suburban hospital and if reports are to be believed she has been consulting a doctor on regular basis. But the hospital staff has been asked not to divulge any details about her visit.

Vidya Balan, who married UTV's head honcho Sidharth Roy Kapur in 2012, was also spotted wearing relatively loose fitted maxi dressesfor the promotions of her last release Shaadi Ke Side Effects'. Her choice of outfits raised the suspicion whether the actress was trying to hide an apparent baby bump.

Also Read: What's the reason for Vidya Balan's secret visits to doctor?

Vidya Balan recently wrapped up the shoot of Dia Mirza's debut production Bobby Jasoos' and has no other films in hand at the moment.

This recent case has reignited the issue of no pregnancy clause in Bollywood. While many Bollywood veterans believe that the clause is valid some believe otherwise.

In an interview to Mid-Day, veteran actress Hema Malini said, "Today the no pregnancy clause should be made mandatory, but only for a certain time period, say a maximum of six months. If the artiste gets pregnant before the film goes on the floors, she should inform the producer. But if the film gets delayed for other reasons, then it's wrong to expect the actress to wait. She can't be held responsible in such a situation."

While Hema Malini took a midway, producer Ramesh Taurani says that it's alright for an actress to give importance to her personal life. "At the end of the day, it is just about a film and I don't think it's a big deal. If a film hasn't gone on the floors, the question of monetary loss does not arise at all."

In 2011, Madhur Bhandarkar had said that he incurred a loss of Rs 4 crore because the truth was hidden'. He even hinted that he would not have started the film had he known about her pregnancy. He also wrote on his blog, "The entire event would not have taken place if on the onset the actress would have informed the state of her health an impending maternity... We learnt about the entire thing from news channels like the rest of the world that the said actress was 4-month pregnant and she was due in November."

Meanwhile cases of prejudice against pregnant actresses is not only an issue in Bollywood. Actress Halle Berry's role in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past' movie has been reportedly cut down.

The 47-year-old actress' presence in the film as mutant Storm has allegedly been cut down to just one scene. Halle Berry was pregnant with her second child during most of the filming on X-Men: Days of Future Past' in Montreal. The film will be released in cinemas on May 2. (With PTI inputs)