Director Rohan Sippy's third directorial venutre "Dum Maaro Dum", which is courting controversy for its theme and backdrop, is ready to hit the screens Friday. Set in Goa, the thriller revolves around drugs, sex and violence.

Made on a budget of about Rs.20 crore, the film is releasing released Friday in 20 countries at 350 international locations and at 1, 000 theatres and multiplexes throughout India and the director is hoping to strike a chord with foreign audiences with his movie. Sippy's last directorial venture was 2005 film "Bluffmaster" and the Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra starrer was big hit.

Sippy has once again teamed up with Abhishek for his first thriller, which has garnered enough publicity because of the objections by many on the ground that the film portrays Goa, one of the most sought after holiday destination among foreigners, and Goans in a bad light.

Three interesting stories are woven into the "Dum Maaro Dum" script, which focuses on six people played by Abhishek, Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar, Aditya Pancholi and Telugu actor Rana Daggubati, who is making his Bollywood debut with it. The sixth is a mysterious character lurking in the background.

In the film, Vishnu Kamat (Abhishek), a self-destructive police officer fleeing from his own past, has been asked to wipe out the local and international drug mafia operating in Goa. As he steps into the murky world, he is greeted with shocks and surprises.

Lorry (Prateik) is keen to accompany his girlfriend to a US University, but his life threatens to spiral out of control after his scholarship gets rejected. Then he meets a smooth talking hustler who promises to fix things up for him.

And local musician DJ Joki (Rana) is a mute spectator of what is happening around him. He drifts aimlessly through his life after an encounter with drug mafia cost him everything he loved. He meets Zoe (Bipasha), an aspiring airhostess whose dreams turn into dust.

And Lorsa Biscuita (Aditya) is the linked to all as a ruthless businessman who has his hands on every Goan pie, legal or illegal. He is the link between all the drug mafia operating in Goa. However, he finds himself pushed to extreme limit with Kamath's arrival. And the ultimate drug kingpin whom no one knows.

" 'Dum Maaro Dum' was always meant to be an edgy thriller, but it has a strong emotional quotient too, which I believe will broaden the appeal of the film, " said Rohan.

Abhishek had sung "Right here right now" in "Bluffmaster", which was immensely popular and in this film too he has has exercised his vocal chords for the song "Thayn Thayn".

Even before its release, the film has found itself embroiled in legal hassles.

The Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court had issued notices to the director and producers of the film, over a petition seeking a ban on the film, but the court cleared its release.

Then women organisations in Goa raised objections over a dialogue of Bipasha which said that "women are cheaper than liquor in Goa", however keeping in mind the sentiments, the makers decided to change that particular line.

The crass lyrics of the re-mixed version of cult song "Dum maaro dum" of 1971 film "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" starring Zeenat Aman and Dev Anand also raised eyebrows. It invited flak not only from musicians and lyricists, also from the evergreen star and the glamour icon of yesteryear themselves.

Despite so many controversies whether the film will be able to strike a chord with the audiences is yet to be seen.