Puttnam Blasts 'Barmy' Kingsley

Film producer and politician LORD PUTTNAM insists SIR Ben Kingsley is "barmy" for making people call him by his full title on every occasion.

The Chariots of Fire movie-maker fears Kingsley will breed dislike among his peers for the insistence, which even extends to the posters for his new movie Lucky Number Slevin.

Lord Puttnam says, "I think Ben's barmy and I wish I could just get hold of him and say 'wake up'. It's a silly thing to do.

"Within the film industry I'm just David Puttnam and I will always be David Puttnam.

"It's a very, very, very silly thing to do and I suspect when he (Kingsley) sits back and thinks about it he will realise it."

Following Kingsley's knighting in 2001, the Gandhi actor said: "There is no Mr Ben Kingsley any more. Being a Sir brings with it responsibility."

He was also heard reprimanding a German reporter who neglected to call him Sir saying, "It's Sir Ben. I've not been a Mr for two years."