Rituparna Sengupta in Trishna

Rituparna Sengupta’s first tilt at titillation has run into trouble. Her Bipasha Jism Basu act in Pritam Jalan’s Trishna has hit the first morality police hurdle weeks before the film approaches the Censor Board of Certificate.

“Some poster designs we presented to the West Bengal Film Publicity Act have been rejected. When we demanded an explanation they chose to remain mum,” says Jalan, the producer-director-editor- distributor of Trishna.

The West Bengal Film Publicity Act is a local body that gives the green signal to Bengali film posters and billboards before they can be put up at public places. They have the right to reject a poster on the grounds of obscenity, indecency and vulgarity.

“My film is not vulgar,” protests Jalan. “Trishna is a sensuous film revolving around Tiasa (Rituparna) and her lust for money. My film doesn’t have a liplock scene like Bipasha Basu and John Abraham in Jism, and it is not based on Jism. So how can the posters be vulgar?”

The posters that have raised the eyebrows of the Publicity Act are of Rituparna clad in sexy hot pants, sarongs and a sheer top. Plus, a poster where Tolly’s heroine number 1 is seen frolicking with hero Angshuman by the sea. And a few others in which Rituparna has a “sensuous expression,” according to Jalan.

“Trishna isn’t a cheap film. I am not making pornography with Rituparna. There are no lovemaking scenes in my film, exposure or vulgar dialogues. It’s just a ploy to create controversy around my film,” Jalan thunders.

We would never have known.