"I've nothing to say about an association that ended for me a long time ago," says Aishwarya Rai, breaking her silence on a purported telephonic conversation with Salman Khan who reportedly said he knew underworld dons.

"I cannot comment on any of the content in the tape or the ensuing debate and discussion. The matter has been taken over by the law. Let the legal system take its course," tells Aishwarya.

The publication of the tapes and the protests against Salman that followed have put a question mark on his pending projects, particularly editor-turned-director Shirish Kunder's "Jaan-e-Man" featuring Salman, Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar.

The shooting for "Jaan-e-Man" was abruptly halted Saturday, without producer Sajid Nadiadwala (a close friend of Salman) or director Kunder offering any explanation. In fact, every attempt has been made to hush up the matter.

In the light of her name cropping up in the tapes, will Preity (who incidentally took on the underworld some years ago by testifying against the dons in court) agree to work with Salman now and in the future?

Preity had starred with Salman in the controversial underworld-funded "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" without knowing the film's or its financier's antecedents.

More recently, after a great deal of persuasion from the Khans, she agreed to do an extended guest appearance in Salman brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri's "Dil Ne Jissey Apna Kahaa". By this time Preity had made peace with Salman.

"I've made the parameters of our interaction very clear to Salman," told Preity. "So there's absolutely no room for ambiguity. He's just fine with me."

Even as Preity's presence in "Jaan-e-Man" hangs in suspense, the film's other leading man Akshay Kumar says he has nothing at all against working with Salman Khan despite allegations that Salman had misbehaved with Akshay's wife.

Dismissing the story to a mischievous source seeking to create a rift between him and Salman, Akshay says everything is cool between him and Salman.