"I have never had any conversation with Mr Amar Singh over the phone ever. The voice on the recording is certainly not mine. I dare say that my voice has distinct characteristics and the voice on the tape is completely different … I am appalled at the unjustifiable conclusion that the female voice on the tape is mine merely because the person identified herself as ‘Bipasha'," she said in a statement sent by SMS to Gulf News. A gag order previously imposed on the tape in 2006 was lifted by the Indian Supreme Court this week.
Basu, 32, added that she was besieged by calls from reporters seeking a reaction since the tapes surfaced.
"I have since heard the clip on the internet … Nothing could be farther from the truth," she added. Twitter was her first stop at clearing the air, followed by an official statement. The actress is currently shooting in Russia for her film Players along with Abhishek Bachchan.
The Dum Maaro Dum star has also come down hard on an Indian newspaper which reportedly published a transcript of the tape under the heading 'Age Matters Between The Legs: Amar Singh to Bips'.
"More appalling is the fact that [the newspaper] did not make any efforts to verify with me whether the voice in question is mine. This is irresponsible, mischievous reporting and is defamatory to say the least," she said.
In an earlier interview on Wednesday night from Russia to Gulf News, she had spoken at length about living under the public eye and her life as a celebrity.
"I have been in age of show business from the age of 16 - with modeling and acting. So getting attention is not so much of a problem but it often gets tough getting the good kind of attention," said Basu over the phone. This scandal comes close on the heels of her admission that she has broken up with her long-time boyfriend, actor John Abraham.
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