Big blow for Mallika Sherawat!

Production house Studio 18, which signed oomph girl Mallika Sherawat for its film 'Masquerade,' has called off the project after differences of opinion with director Kundan Shah.

According to a source in Studio 18, Mallika was signed on for Rs. 9.5 million, a whopping sum for an actress of her standing. The source also told that before she reported for the movie's shoot, she was paid 25 percent of her remuneration.

The film could not take off allegedly because director Shah refused to brook any interference from her.

The source said Mallika at first was not too happy about the banner's choice of Shah as director. Then she wanted a cinematographer of her choice to be signed for the movie. But Shah said it was his prerogative as the director to choose the cinematographer.

The stand-off between the two reached such a peak that eventually Studio 18 found no alternative but to call off the project.

Efforts by us to reach her proved futile.

Studio 18 has now lodged a complaint with an association of producers, saying that though the movie 'Masquerarde' was shelved, Mallika has refused to return 25 percent of her remuneration that was paid to her at the time she signed the contract with it for the movie.

She has allegedly refused to entertain any call from Studio 18; nor does she respond to e-mail messages.

The model-turned actress wowed audiences with her very first film 'Khwahish' and repeated the success story with 'Murder' and 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects'.