Close on the heels of actress Kushboo issuing a legal notice seeking compensation for Rs three crore, Maxim, the newly-launched men's magazine has offered to apologize for carrying a morphed picture of Kushboo wearing a bikini in its inaugural issue.

However Kushboo had said that she was not ready for a compromise. She is intent on dragging the publisher to the court.

Maxim has stated that 'the format used for our '100 per cent fake' page in a matter of artistic expression and, like a caricature, is a way to project failures and celebrities in a humorous light. The intent is never to cause hurt, which is the reason we have offered our apologies to Kushboo immediately on hearing our distress'.

Maxim has offered to carry an apology with one of the two options. Maxim would make a suitable advertisement in a local English and vernacular newspaper in Chennai expressing the editor's and publisher's sincere regret for having inadvertently hurt Kushboo's feeling, issue a joint in apology for the distress caused, which will include her acceptance of the same.'

But the actress, who has seen enough controversies in recent times, is holding firm.