AceShowbiz - Actress Freida Pinto has defended her racy photo shoot for a men's magazine, insisting it was her decision to pose for the pictures. The "Slumdog Millionaire" star raised eyebrows last year with a series of racy shots for the U.S. version of GQ, including several images of her sprawled across a bed in her underwear.

Gossips speculated that the photo shoot was a deliberate attempt to shake off her "nice-girl" image - and Pinto has now spoken out to stress she was not manipulated into taking part. She tells Britain's You magazine, "The decision to do those pictures was mine."

"I definitely knew how I wanted to look. A stylist may have chosen the clothes but the decision to wear them was mine. I would hate to feel that I was being objectified."

She adds, "I have always said that a woman's sexuality should not be used in a way that is demeaning to her. But, you know, I don't think this is a sexist issue any more because actors are strutting their stuff in photo shoots just as much as actresses now."