/> The tamasha that ensued on the sets of new director Ishraq Shah's Ek Bura Aadmi last week could make for a great soap opera.

Apparently Riya not only refused to shoot the item song with Arunodoy Singh (who left for a month-long family event in the US) she also refused to interact with the media that was called to cover the shooting.

The traumatized director relives the Tuesday trauma.

"It was a nightmare. Riya Sen had signed on to do an item song. We had recorded a really zingy song Uchal gayee chamiya kunwaron ke beech mein. Jayesh Pradhan who has done the choreography in Aarakashan was supposed to choreograph Riya's number. Everything was finalized, But then.... "

Apparently Riya refused to show up for any rehearsals.

Says the director, "She claimed she was unwell and could not rehearse for the item song. Then she showed up for just one shot. I agreed since Arunodoy had to leave. But then she refused to talk to the media. I'm a new director.

This is all very new and embarrassing for me. My producer has suffered losses of at least 70-80 lakhs because of this. I don't know how I will shoot the song now. Arunodoy is gone for a month.

When he returns he immediately starts shooting for Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine. My mentor Gulzar Saab had worked with the great Suchitra Sen. Look at what I had to go through on my birthday with her grand-daughter!"

Riya Sen, upset and ill as she is, had another story to tell.

"This is all a publicity gimmick, as far as I can see. Ishraq Shah is a new director. I helped him out by agreeing to do the song. Besides I thought the song was nice and I could use it in my shows.

According to the contract we were supposed to shoot on 4th and 5th October. He requested me to come for the shoot on the 3rd because he said Arunodoy was leaving the same night for the US. I agreed out of kindness, although I've been unwell. But at the shoot there was pure chaos.

There was a very strange set of media persons at the shoot whom I had never seen before. They kept coming in front of the camera while we were shooting.

The director asked me to speak to the media. I refused. Please understand I wasn't even supposed to shoot on Monday. Is this what I get for my kindness?

Why use my name for publicity? We recently had Mr Dev Anand being quoted against me. I shot for his Chargesheet three years ago. If he had a problem with me why didn't he speak earlier? Why at the time of release?"

Last heard Riya's mother Moon Moon Sen was trying for a patch up between her daughter and the director of Ek Bura Aadmi.