/> The Sanjay Gupta-Apoorva Lakhia war is out in the open. On Thursday when the entire Shootout At Lokhandwala team got together to celebrate the success of the film and co-producer Ekta Kapoor's birthday, Lakhia was nowhere to be seen.

Says Gupta, "Frankly. I was as surprised by his absence as anyone else. This was, after all, Apu's film and therefore his moment of glory, right? I'm supposed to be just the producer. So why was he missing?"

Getting slightly edgy Gupta says, "Until a day before the party Apu was in our White Feather office asking for passes for his friends.

Suddenly at 2 am hours before the bash I get an SMS from Apu saying he has to go to IIFA with the Bachchans because Jayaji called him and in his words, 'fired him' for not being at IIFA. If Jayaji wanted Apu at IIFA instead of at his own party I've no complaints. We all have our priorities.

Personally it comes as a shock because just hours before he was going through the guest list with me. Apu is free to be where he wants to be. But he should've been man enough to tell me so, instead of slinking away."

When prodded about whether Apu intended to be at IIFA all along Gupta says, "It's difficult to imagine it wasn't pre-planned. Because you don't suddenly take a flight to London. Look, I really didn't pay any attention to stories about me and Apu being at loggerheads.

It was good press for the film. But this is upsetting. I had gone that extra mile for Apu, signed him after two films. And this is how he treats me and Ekta! I don't know how she has taken it. But to me this is just not acceptable."

In the meanwhile news is that Apu's film Mission Istanbul on global terrorism for Suniel Shetty almost fell through when Apoorva Lakhia quoted Rs 1.25 crores as his price.

Says a source, "The only reason Suniel is going ahead with Apu and that too at a reduced fee of Rs 90 lakhs is because he has promised ten days of Abhishek Bachchan."