The latest twist in the Preeti Jaiin –Madhur Bhandarkar fight-to-finish would have even Agatha Christie scratching her head in bewilderment.

According to a news report on Wednesday night, Madhur Bhandarkra paid the famous-again Arun Gawli Rs 50,000 to expose in the media Jaiin's plot to eliminate Bhandarkar.

"This is so absurd I don't know whether to laugh or cry," Madhur bursts out on Thursday morning. He's disturbed and insecure, probably because the security he has asked the govermment for hasn't arrived as yet.

But that's not the main issue at the moment. "Kamaal hai! Imagine, after the Times Of India carries a news report that the hired killers carried out a 'dry run' at my house to eliminate me I'm being counter-accused! Meri jaan khatre mein hai, unhone mujhe marne ke supari diya hai...and I'd go to Gawli and say, 'Ek kaam karo 50,000 lo aur ussko expose karo.' This doesn't make any sense. If I had a whiff of the plot to kill me, I'd run to the police. Why would I go to Gawli?Crazy!"

Madhur takes a deep breath. "Now that Preeti Jaiin has been disproven in the lie-detection test her defence must have come up with this brainwave. Personally this theory that I paid Gawli doesn't bother me. The stress I've gone through in the last one year is something only I know . It isn't easy for a man to keep going to the cops and the court.

I'm a filmmaker, not some criminal . I don't make 4-5 films at the same time. For the last 8 months I've been working on the script of Corporate. I hardly have time to meet my mother and wife. I totally deny knowing Arun Gawli. Where do I have the time for all this?

If a supari has been placed on my head, will I go to the supposed killers with my own price? Is there a bidding going on over my life? Does anyone realize what all this means to me? I'm worried about what repercussions all this will have on my family. My wife has to be out of our home because of the nature of her work. My problems have made my family uneasy."

In a couple of days Madhur is being provided with police protection. "Until them I'm restricting my movements. I didn't even visit my temple on Tuesday..Yeh sab kya hai! I'm impatient to start my film Corporate. All these dark and ugly attacks and counter-attacks are very restricting."

Madhur has consulted his lawyers about the latest twist in the corny kahani. They've assured him that the allegation about talking to Gawli isn't a cognizable offence. "Lekin meri to kabhi baat hi nahin hui hui. I've never met the man," Madhur is adamant