The director of "Amarjeet", starring Lara Dutta, says his film is in no way influenced by Julia Roberts' Oscar-winning "Erin Brockovich".

"I don't know how you could say they are similar. Of course, it's a story of a single woman's battle for justice but beyond that this is a completely original story and script," told Shoojit Sircar.

"Amarjeet" is the tale of a lone woman's battle against the tobacco industry, starting from a small town in Punjab and spreading across the country.

"I have always been troubled by smoking," said Sircar. "I used to be a smoker myself, then gave it up. I have seen how something which seems as innocuous as smoking can have deadly results."

Sircar said the film was his personal battle against tobacco. "I want the film to be a message to everyone - people who are enamoured by the image of the 'macho' men with a cigarette on their lips or the emancipated, smoking woman - that this is really dangerous and can have disastrous consequences.

"Cinema is a great medium to give out such a message because it reaches so many more people and that's really important. I want as many people as possible to know that smoking is a terrible thing and they should never think that it's in any way cool.

"It is not," said Sircar who has made more than 200 commercials.

He also said that choosing Lara for the lead role came easily when he saw her commitment to the subject. "Lara doesn't smoke, never has and feels very strongly about it. She is as passionate about the film as me - she believes in its message."

But Lara and Sircar differ in their reactions to the proposed ban on smoking on the silver screen. While Lara supports it, Sircar says it's silly.

"Creative freedom must be complete. No one should take away creative freedom," said Sircar. "It's rather silly. Cinema is a portrayal of life and whatever happens in life gets interpreted in cinema.

"You cannot take away the filmmaker's creative rights. Think about it - say I want to make a film on Satyajit Ray and Ray always smoked a pipe, it was a vital part of the man, like his spectacles and his writing desk," said Sircar, who made the famous "Mann Ke Manjeere" video with Shubha Mudgal.

"I cannot do a film on Ray and take away his pipe. Like this, there are millions of places where we will be stuck and once you start banning things there is no end to it."