I am still in Mumbai: Veena Malik

Mumbai/Islamabad (PTI): Actress Veena Malik today denied reports that she had quietly returned to Pakistan following her nude photo shoot controversy, saying she was resting in a suburban Mumbai hotel to recover from exhaustion.

Against the backdrop of reports that she had mysteriously disappeared, Veena said she had changed her hotel in Mumbai and switched off her mobile phone as she wanted to rest. She told Geo News channel that she had been feeling unwell after working for up to 18 hours a day.

The 33-year-old actress said she was now staying at the Oakwood Hotel in Mumbai, a fact confirmed by the local police. Veena's conversation with Geo News marked her first contact with anyone in two days.

Earlier, speculative media reports on both sides of the border had claimed Malik had crossed over to Pakistan via the Wagah land border. The reports further claimed the actress, wearing a burqa, had crossed the frontier on foot.

But the police confirmed today that the actress is very much in Mumbai. "Veena Malik is in Oakwood hotel. She has registered by her real name Zahida and she has all the papers. She was unwell for a couple of days," Machendra Bodke of Juhu police station told media persons.

Malik went "missing" two days ago after returning from a film shoot in Mumbai. Her manager Pratik Mehta told the media that her cell phone was turned off.

The actress, who has been in and out of India for film and reality shows, was shooting 'Mumbai 125 kilometres' in Goregaon and left the shoot midway, saying she was not well.

However, the police said that there was no missing person's complaint registered in this connection.

Some reports had suggested that Malik had returned to Pakistan to renew her Indian visa but sources close to the actress said her visa was valid till December 24.

The actress' family in Islamabad said it had no information about her whereabouts. Malik was recently criticised by hardliners and extremists in Pakistan for appearing topless on the cover of FHM India magazine with the letters ISI painted on her arm.

She filed a suit against FHM India, claiming damages worth Rs 100 million, while the magazine counter-sued her for Rs 250 million.

After finishing this movie, Veena is also slated to appear on Imagine TV's reality show 'Swayamvar', where she will be searching for her 'Mr Right'.

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Gotcha! Missing actress Veena Malik has been found out

Veena Malik has been found. The actress is allegedly staying at a service apartment in Juhu for the last two days. Her manager Prateik Mehta said, "I am on my way to meet Veena who is at Oakwood Park. I have only spoken to her briefly.''

The Pakistani actor had gone missing from Aarey Milk Colony road from Friday morning. She had been shooting for the film Mumbai 135kms for the last 15 days.

The film's director Hemant Madhukar said, "Veena was shooting with us from 6pm to 6am for the last 15 days. From Thursday evening to the time she disappeared from the movie sets, Veena seemed distracted and upset."

Around 5.30am, she was advised to go to her vanity van. "I told her we would call her once the shot was ready. When my assistant went to the van, she was not there," said Madhukar. The production team sent a car daily to pick up and drop Veena. On Friday morning, she didn't use the car. "I know there was a car waiting for her for nearly three hours. Maybe she took the car but I am not sure," said Madhukar.

Veena hit headlines recently after a nude shoot for a magazine cover. She though denied participating in the shoot after a controversy broke out in Pakistan.

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