MUMBAI (Reuters Life!) - Bollywood's Rajkumar Santoshi's latest film about the murder of an actress may seem familiar, but the A-list director says it is not based on the 1999 killing of a model by a politician's son, a crime which shocked the nation.

"Halla Bol," starring Ajay Devgan and Vidya Balan, revolves around the murder of an actress by a group of influential men who use their political clout to cover up the crime.

In 2006 and after a seven-year and highly publicized trial, Manu Sharma, the son of an influential member of India's ruling Congress Party, was convicted of shooting model and celebrity barmaid Jessica Lall at a crowded New Delhi bar in 1999.

Several media reports have said Halla Bol was based on the shooting.

"Though the plot maybe similar to the true incident, my film is not inspired by it," he said, referring to the Lall murder.

"The film is about an actor who thought he was a sort of a hero for the people and then realizes one fine day when the actress is murdered that he is nothing but a screen identity," said Santoshi.

"It is a story about how he stands up and fights for the actress against powerful people of society who try to silence his voice."

Halla Bol is due to open in December.