It was touted as a contest to pick a dancer for an "item number" in a Hindi movie but the near nudity on the stage left star-judges Vivek Oberoi and Abhishek Bachchan aghast and red faced.

On Tuesday night, producers of the forthcoming film "Musafir" hosted the contest to pick a fresh young dancer to perform a sizzling show in their film.

But many wondered why the contest, which got reduced to a raunchy show with the dancers indulging in vulgar and suggestive gyrations on stage, was held since the film had already been completed and was being readied for a post-Diwali release.

Said a prominent member of the audience. "Frankly what happened at the contest was in extremely bad taste. There were girls who were stripping beyond the bare minimum on stage and performing mock copulations on stage. Not one of them was good enough to be put on screen. Members of the audience were openly boozing and watching the girls on stage. The atmosphere was no better than in a beer bar.

"But I wonder if they (dancers) minded. These girls on stage seemed most happy performing and taking off their clothes."

A bar was set up in the foyer of the auditorium and drinks were served openly. The two judges for the evening, Abhishek Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi, were clearly embarrassed.

"The giddy limit was when they were asked to comment on every participant's vital statistic in full detail. Abhishek refused. Both Vivek and he conducted themselves with exemplary self-control, specially since the entire press corps from television was present in full spirit asking them both to be accountable for the raunchy goings on," commented another member of the audience.