by Subhash K Jha

Who's responsible for spreading the story of Sushmita Sen's "torrid" smooching sequence in Kalpana Lajmi's Chingari?

Certainly not the principled Kalpana , or the actress who's currently shooting in New York with Randeep Hooda for Karma Confession & Holy. Apparently both put the blame for the "false" story on the film's producer Vikas Sahni.

Sushmita apparently phoned Sahni from New York and threatened not to support the film's publicity.

Immeasurably agitated, Kalpana lashes out at the whole smooch theory. "This isn't the kind of publicity my cinema needs. Chingari is about the life of a prostitute . It's about the politics of sex. But there's no sexy scenes. I haven't made a Julie or a Murder.

"And there's certainly no kissing sequence in Chingari, let alone a torrid one. If my film required that kind of intimacy it would have it, and I'd certainly not hide it! Why should I? I'm sure of my convictions as a filmmaker. And I don't need to seal them with a kiss."

The supposed smooch is actually a love- song sequence that Sushmita personally choreographed after the choreographer didn't turn up for the shooting.

"Do you think Sushmita or I would do anything vulgar or unaesthetic? Yes , Sush does have sensuous scenes. But not with Anuj Sawhney. They are with Mithun...How dare Anuj give quotes about how we had to do 36 re-takes for the love scenes between him and Sush? What's he implying? That I'm an inept director and Sushmita is a clumsy actress? Please don't make me open my mouth about that Anuj. He's trouble, period."

This isn't the first time that Sawhney finds himself facing the wrath of a celebrated co-star with whom he has insinuated more than a passing chumminess. Earlier after the release of Naina Sawhney had upset Urmila Matondkar by calling her "voluptuous" in print.

"I think he needs to watch himself," warns Kalpana. "And he should stop lying. Because there's no smooch with Sush ,except maybe in his fantasy."