MUMBAI - Suparn Verma, the director of “Acid Factory”, is upset with rumours that his forthcoming action thriller has been ghost directed by producer Sanjay Gupta.

“Saying that Sanjay Gupta has actually directed ‘Acid Factory’ seems to me on the same lines as Karan (Johar) or Adi (Aditya Chopra) being accused of the same for their home productions. I guess there is always a suspicion like this whenever a big filmmaker decides to hand over the ropes to a relative newcomer. It’s my turn now,” Verma told IANS.

The filmmaker had made his debut as a director with Fardeen Khan-Koena Mitra-starrer “Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena” (2005).

“I have a question for all those rumour mongers out there. Tell me, why would a producer hire a director, pay him good money (and that too on time) and then eventually direct the entire film himself?

“If I was in the producer’s place, I would rather buy a house if I had some extra cash than throw it around to a newer director without expecting any output,” he said.

Verma maintains that Gupta allowed him complete control over the film.

“Sanjay Gupta is someone who would put money on you only if he feels you are worth it. In fact he was quite categorical in stating that he didn’t want me to follow his style of filmmaking. He told me that he would be happy only if I refrained from thinking how Sanjay would feel about a particular shot. This incident happened seven days before the shoot and he has maintained his stance right through the scripting, shooting and post- production,” he said.

Verma, who has earlier scripted films like “Zameen”, “Qayamat” and “Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?” amongst others, doesn’t have any complaints about the making of the film.

“Sanjay is a man of his words. I always had all the resources in place. No one would have allowed me Rs.21 crore to make a film if he wouldn’t have believed in me. I have my own visual and narrative style and this is why it is quite demeaning when people point fingers at you.

“Sanjay has multiple films at different stages of production. He would have to be god if he were to be directing all these films simultaneously at different locations,” Verma said.

An action thriller, “Acid Factory” features Fardeen Khan, Dia Mirza, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Dino Morea, Aftab Shivdasani and Danny Denzongpa and is set to release Friday.