Actress Veena Malik admitted on Thursday to having done a “topless” and “covered” photoshoot for Indian men’s magazine FHM, but insisted she did not “go nude”, Geo News reported. Veena is seeking $2 million in damages from FHM India, alleging that they “morphed” the images to make her appear naked. The magazine denies the claims. Veena said she did not get paid for the photographs, which have caused controversy in Pakistan. She said she had refused another offer from an agency for a nude photoshoot. Regarding the photos in FHM India magazine, she said: “If you look at my shoot, I do admit that I have done a topless shoot. But it was not that topless – a proportion of the body was covered with my hands.”
“I liked the idea of a bold shoot, but I did not do a nude shoot – that’s why I am standing here today, because I have to prove it,” she added. “I won’t allow anybody to remove my bikini or my shalwar or my dupatta. If I want to do it, I will do it myself. And if I do it, I will own it,” she told BBC’s World Have Your Say programme. Asked about reports that her father has disowned her and has called for her to be punished, Veena said: “My father is angry. They are my family – I love them. Once I am done with this case… I will go back to my family and I will convince them, and I still love them.” Malik also defended the images, saying: “If you look at the industry in which I am working right now, there are various examples of such shoots – it’s not that I am the first one who has done it. Why is sexuality such a big problem? Are we actually grown up? Are we still living in the jungles?” she said.