Kingsley was taught smoking cannabis with fake pot for The Wackness role

Film director Jonathan Levine says that he had to teach Sir Ben Kingsley how to smoke cannabis for the latters role in his film The Wackness, though using a fake joint.

New York, June 30 : Film director Jonathan Levine says that he had to teach Sir Ben Kingsley how to smoke cannabis for the latter's role in his film 'The Wackness', though using a fake joint.

"I had to teach him how to properly hit a bong," the New York Daily News quoted the writer/director as saying at the Cinema Society screening of the movie.

The film is dark comedy about dealing pot in New York in the '90s, and it depicts Kingsley as a pothead therapist.

Levine said that Kingsley took on the role because "versatility is my middle name. I've got to surprise people, and I've got to surprise myself."

His younger co-star, Josh Peck, said: "It's surreal watching Method Man pass a fake joint to Sir Ben Kingsley. But the fake pot smoked on the set was bad. It just burned your throat and had no effect. It was a total gyp, dude!"

As to what was packed in the joints, Levine said: "It's kind of like herbal tobacco. It doesn't taste great or smell great, either. I felt bad for everyone's lungs."

ANI