Bollywood Monday reacted with shock to the sudden move to deport actress and model Negar Khan for working in India without valid documents, terming as inappropriate the treatment meted out to her.

"The manner in which she has been deported is absolutely indecorous," said leading filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who noted that Khan should have been given an opportunity and time to clarify her position.

"The violation of laws of the land should not be tolerated but let's not forget that this is not the first case where a foreign actor has been subjected to this kind of treatment," tells Bhatt.

Khan, who appeared in Bollywood films as an "item girl" and starred in several hit music videos, has been charged with working in the country on an invalid work permit.

Earlier, she was summoned before the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO) as her work permit was allegedly not in order.

Bhatt said he too had faced the "high handedness" of immigration officials when South African Ilene Hamann had exceeded her work permit limit by a couple of days while shooting for his film "Rog".

"I had a tough time trying to rescue Ilene," said the filmmaker.

The concept of foreign actors playing lead roles in Indian films was unimaginable until a few years ago.

But things have changed in the recent times with scores of overseas professionals lining up to audition for Bollywood roles.

Subhash Ghai, one of the Hindi film industry's most successful filmmakers, selected British actress Antonia Bernath as the female lead for his magnum opus "Kisna".

Among the foreign faces seen in Bollywood in 2004 were Serbian model Jelena Jakovljevic, who appeared in a raunchy dance number in the Pritish Nandy Communications' film "Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jayo".

Among the men, New Zealander Martin Henderson was seen playing suitor to Bollywood stunner Aishwarya Rai in "Bride and Prejudice".

"Negar Khan has been treated like a criminal. We were not allowed even to speak to her on phone. Her mobile phone was confiscated," said a harried filmmaker whose forthcoming project with Khan in the leading role is yet to be finished.

"If cases like this continue to happen, then no one would like to come from other countries to work here. We need to show some sensitivity towards actors," he said on condition of anonymity.