abhay's lips are sealed

Why is the release of actor Anuj's Saxena's debut film Lips, being held up? Is the film's director Sameer Malkani afraid that the actor may not sell at the box office or is the sexy theme of the overdue film (which was shot over a year ago) already pass?
Saxena is a much in demand television actor. Of late, both Sony and Balaji have been spending time trying to convince him to stay put in Kkusum. But the actor who has always harboured dreams of making a career in films took his first step in the direction by shooting for Malkani's Lips. The controversial film has not yet been scheduled for release.
Apparently, Lips has no buyers and there are two reasons for this. The first is its zero face value - despite commanding a huge fan following on the small screen, Anuj may not be accepted as the lead actor in a commercial film. Secondly, thanks to a spate of sleazy films like Hawas and Julie that did not do well at the box office, Bollywood seems to have lost its latest penchant for making 'bold' sex films.
The director of Lips, Sameer Malkani, refuses to accept that his film is facing any rough weather at all. He says, "I know that Anuj isn't a Shah Rukh Khan! People always have problems selling a new product. An actor is a product. They will know that Anuj is good at his work when they see the film." The director also says he is well versed with the grind: "I'm not saying that I didn't have trouble making the film. An average film takes at least two years to make. It's been only a year and a half since Lips has been in the making. I don't think it's been delayed at all."
However, he agrees he might have certain problems with the censors. "But then again, Lips is not a cheap sex film. There are two particular scenes that might be a problem. I've not canned scenes showing Masumi Udeshi's (the lead actress) legs right up till her undergarments. Nor is she strutting around showing her cleavage in a tiny bikini. It's an aesthetically shot film," he says.
Malkani, who has made successful films like Main Khiladi Tu Anari in the past, blames himself for the delay in the release of Lips. "I was away in America for a few months on other assignments. It is solely because of my unavailability that the film got slightly delayed." He is now looking for a September release. Let's hope Saxena's Lips doesn't remain sealed in the cans.

* People always have problems selling a new product – Sameer Malkani,