This time by Romanian villagers

Residents of the impoverished settlement of Glod – whose name, literally, means mud – stood in for Kazakhs in the opening scenes of Sacha Baron Cohen’s movie.

But they complain they were told they were taking part in a documentary about poverty that would fairly depict their lives.

‘Nothing could have been further from the truth,’ the lawsuit said. ‘The project was intended to portray the villagers as rapists, abortionists, prostitutes, thieves, racists, bigots, simpletons and/or boors.’

The legal action was filed in New York on behalf of two of the villagers, Nicolae Tudorache and Spirea Ciorebea. Mr Tudorache, who lost his arm in an accident, has previously spoken of his humiliation at having a dildo in the shape of a fist attached to the stump of his missing arm. Only when English reporters visited him, did he find out what it was.

Gregg Brilliant, a spokesman for 20th Century Fox, said villagers were paid above the usual rate and that the movie ‘was never presented to anyone in Romania as a documentary’.

The movie has been a box office hit, earning more than $90 million so far in the United States alone.

This is the second lawsuit to hit the film-makers, after two students who made racist, sexist comments sued, claiming the crew plied them with drink.

• Posters showing comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in a skimpy posing pouch have been banned in Israel on the grounds of decency.

Published: 21 Nov 2006