Claiming that the role of a sex worker portrayed by her in the film Chingari, was a complex one, actor Sushmita Sen on Wednesday termed it to be her best performance so far.

"I have rubbed loads of koyla (coal) and kajal, mixed with oil, on my face and body to look like a natural village girl who is a sex worker. It was not at all easy but with my director Kalpana Lajmi's encouragement, I managed," she said.

Sen said she was drained physically and emotionally during the shooting of the film, as she had never portrayed such a complex and true-to-life character before.

"The role of a rural woman and that too of a sex worker was unlike the image I have. I was excited about the role and I did not want to miss the bus," she added.

Denying that Chingari is a statement against prostitution, Sen said, "it is a story from the point of view of a sex worker. I realise what a hard life it must be and I feel all the more for women who are in the same position. The turning point in Basanti's life comes when she falls in love and gains the respect of a man'.

Sen's co-stars in the film included Ila Arun, Anuj Sawhney and Mithun Chakraborty. The film has been written by acclaimed music director Bhupen Hazarika.

Sen was being seen as somewhat of a rebel in Bollywood, being very open about her personal life, including the men in it, her personal struggles and her life as a single mother.