Tania Zaetta

May 22: An Australian actress who has played bit roles in Bollywood hits has demanded an apology from her country’s government after a note claiming she had sex with soldiers in Afghanistan was leaked to the media.

“Perhaps I do feel like I need an apology because not only my family name but my career which I have worked very hard for is suddenly at stake here,” the London-based Tania Zaetta, who stars in the recent film Mr. Black Mr. White, said.

“It’s complete made-up lies ... (and) apart from being hurtful, it’s damaging to a woman’s career, to her reputation and I wish someone had come and asked me before there had been any documentation.”

Zaetta’s angry response came after Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, quoting from a top secret defence document, reported the unsubstantiated allegations made in a departmental note prepared for Australian defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon.

The minister has ordered a probe into how the briefing note became public and why Zaetta was identified by name in the document.

Defence spokesman Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said his department had formally apologised to the 37-year-old.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the matter was “under investigation within the defence department” but doubted the claims she had sex with elite special air service troops during her tour last month with a group of performers to boost Australian soldiers in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

“I doubt very, very, very much — I have only seen all the girls conduct themselves in a very, very professional manner and certainly Tania, because she is a very professional person,” Rudd was quoted as saying by APP.

The entire Aussie Opposition has rallied behind Zaetta, who started off as a television presenter and is known for hosting the internationally acclaimed reality series Who Dares Wins.

The actress, who starred in Bunty aur Babli and played Arshad Warsi’s Aussie sweetheart Cathy in Salaam Namaste, appeared worried about the effect of the leak on her fledgling Bollywood career.

“When things like this get into countries like that (India) it’s not taken lightly….,” Zaetta, whose father is Australian and mother Italian, said.