Chennai comes up with its own chhotisi controversy

‘‘I told her: Why don’t you return the payment and I will give you the prints,’’ he says. He claims Stree has already got clearance from the Censor Board and is slated for a November 22 release.

Suman, however, denies having raised any objections to the film’s release. Speaking over the phone from Mumbai, the actress says: ‘‘This is a great film. I liked my role and want Stree released. There is no dirty stuff in the movie.’’

But in an exclusive screening of the songs for Express, Suman was seen cavorting in a red silk saree for a wedding song and a steel-grey halter-neck gown for a disco number. Her co-stars were Vivekanand (who plays Suman’s husband in the film) and debutante Dheeraj H. (a Chennai-based model). Both songs, to put it mildly, were soft porn.

‘‘Songs? There are no songs in the film,’’ Suman maintains. ‘‘Just a dreamy montage of me running on a beach.’’

The actress adds that she wears only salwars and sarees throughout the film. ‘‘The most western I get is in a jeans and T-shirt. If there are some more scenes then Shankar has probably used a double. The male model in the film is supposedly a casanova, maybe he has scenes with some other models. I have not spoken to Shankar after we shot the movie, which was five months ago, and I have not seen Stree,’’ Suman says.

The producer adds that his first choice for the lead role was Rekha, as the part was modelled on her performance in Aastha, but she had asked for a steep fee. ‘‘Then Suman’s PRO called me and said she was willing to do the role. I agreed since Suman has curly hair like Rekha,’’ Shankar says.

‘‘There are no dirty scenes in Stree, just the usual Hindi movie stuff and maybe some scenes of seduction,’’ Dheeraj says. He adds that no body doubles were used in the movie and Suman herself wore some western outfits.

‘‘I think Shankar is just trying to pull off some sort of Ek Chhotisi Love Story stunt( where actress Manisha Koirala sued director Shashilal Nair over certain scenes in the movie that she wanted deleted),’’ says Dheeraj. The newcomer is worried that the controversy might affect his career, considering he has just landed a role opposite Trisha in Muthalvan Shankar’s Boys.

Shankar, who has splashed his side of the story in all regional film glossies, says he spoke to Suman a week ago. ‘‘I am waiting for her reply whether she will pay me Rs 1.25 crore,’’ he adds.

The producer has also accused Suman of smashing his car during a night out at the disco.‘‘Suman madam went to a disco in Chennai, along with Dheeraj, and crashed my Tata Indica, bearing registration number 4156. But I did not say anything to her. Now, see what has happened,’’ Shankar says.

‘‘Crashed his car! The only car I got to travel in was an Ambassador. And it always had a driver,’’ says Suman.