Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; April 17, 2015)

Ken Ghosh recently took on the mantle of director for Ekta Kapoor’s erotic drama, XXX. If the latest buzz is to be believed, he had approached Shahid Kapoor to be part of the project, which will have five stories exploring various aspects of sexual relationships. However, the actor is said to have turned down the offer from Ghosh, who had launched him in Ishq Vishk (2003).

“Shahid’s date diary is choc-a-bloc and moreover, he is not keen on getting into the erotic genre,” explains a source, adding that the director is now sulking.

“At a recent get- together, he was asked about Shahid and he mentioned that he was upset with him for not agreeing to do the film,” the source states.

Ghosh, however, dismisses the buzz. “Why should I be ( upset) when he was never part of the film?” he asks.

A source close to Shahid also insists that all is well between the director-actor duo, stating: “When he has chosen projects like Haider and Shandaar, why will he choose a semi-porn film? And everything is fine between them.”

Shahid denies the story, saying: “I was never offered any such film.”