Daily News from New York, New York • 14

7. ailed actor Robert Downey Jr. is said to be recuperating today after a savage attack. Friends of the Downey say that another inmate at the L.A. County jail slashed him 'across the face Friday morning after Downey apparently 7 MUST-NOT-SEE TV: "Big Lebowski" star John Turturro gets in his licks 1 fO tf lLT in ft6 commercial that ABC won't air.

immersed in her Kama Sutra look. Tripping down the same path The Beatles explored in the 1960s, the Maharani Mama wore Mendhi tattoos on her hands, heavy black kohl eye makeup, and a long, sheer sarilike skirt with sheer mesh top, along with gold glitter in her loose hair. The chords struck up on her title track, and "she was dancing like crazy onstage, like in the '80s," said did not make protection payments. Prison officials would only say that the "Chaplin" star suffered a lacerated nose in an altercation that took place in the work area of the jail's Twin Towers facility. "The fight is under investigation," said L.A.

County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Bailey, adding that Downey may be moved to more secure housing within the jail. The actor, who is said to have been treated for his wounds, has complained of harassment by other inmates since he arrived at the facility Dec. 8 to serve time for violating his parole on drug charges. "He lives in fear," says one friend, who believes Downey was slashed GAMMA UAWON v'V "I anta. rt, jA arnaldo maanamoamma LiAisoft one delighted 23-year-old in THAT SCENT OF CHLOE: Jack Lemmon took his dog, Chloe, for a walk last week after sparing no expense to fly her to New York.

Lemmon reportedly paid $3,200 so the poodle could have a first-class seat next to his. the front row. "She was reaching out and touching people's 0 because he did not pay another convict to secure his safety. Downey was thrown into a jungle of violent convicts after California Judge Lawrence Mira vowed to make his jail 2 inside track for landing the first interview with Monica Lewinsky. She lunched yesterday with Lewinsky lawyer William Ginsburg at Harry Cipriani sneaking out the back door to avoid waiting camera crews.

Meanwhile, the Fox News Channel seems especially eager to track Lewinsky. Fox, headed by conservative politico-turned-TV exec Roger Ailes, has had the former White House intern tailed by private eyes on her travels around LA. "The Los Angeles bureau hired four private investigators to follow Monica and her attorney, Ginsburg, from the airport to her father's house," said a Fox News spokesman. "That was it" The spokesman denied that the flat-feet tailed Lewinsky farther than that But why four detectives for one trip from the airport? "We wanted all possible exits covered," the spokesman said. Oh.

Did Ailes hatch this? "I don't know that Mr. Ailes even knew about it," said the Fox spokesman. LA. bureau chief "Fred Farar came up with the idea, actually." CHUMPS, NOT CHAMPS Is Farrah Fawcett in denial? Fawcett is making it clear that she opposes the L.A city attorney prosecuting her director-boyfriend James Orr for allegedly beating her up. The star of the abuse movie, 'The Burning Bed," says she "neither endorses nor supports" the people who are trying to protect her, and that she finds it "disappointing" that the incident has attracted so much attention.

Jean-Claude Van Damme claimed on "Inside Edition" last week that actorHells Angel Chuck Zito never hit him at Score's, and challenged Zito to (another) fight Perhaps the eyewitnesses among the 300 people in the club that night only imagined seeing the kickboxing "star" flip over in his chair and roll up into a tiny ball. There's underlying tension between the two because Zito once dated Van Damme's estranged wife, Darcy, and Zito is said to be unhappy with Dairy's claim in a divorce action that Van Damme abused her. With Marcus Baram SynoHcatod by Tribunv ModUi Sorvtc6 hands." At one point the performer, looking in perfect shape but less pumped up than in past incarnations, yelled, "It's time for my solo!" She fell to her knees and strummed air guitar, to the delight of Rod Stewart, Boy George and the rest of the crowd. One devoted fan tossed bags and bags of rose petals over her. Madonna, who hasn't toured in five years, did four songs, including a Sanskrit-like chant Her set lasted 30 minutes, and the new mother then went home.

Earlier in the evening, she held an intimate pre-party with about a dozen friends and daughter Lourdes. BOWL GAMES "Fargo" creators Joel and Ethan Coen are also running into a sex taboo on their new film, "The Big Lebowski." Censors at the big three TV networks are bridling at a commercial for the Coens' new movie, in which actor John Turturro pleasures a bowling ball! In "Lebowski," Turturro plays a professional bowler who slithers around in a purple jumpsuit and uses his tongue to coax his favorite ball toward peak performance. ABC has told Gramercy Pictures that it won't air the commercial unless the scene is cut, according to a network executive. CBS and NBC have agreed to run it, but only after 9 p.m. CHASING MONICA Barbara Walters may have the time very unpleasant Meanwhile, Downey's forthcoming movie, "Two Girls and a Guy," awaits sentencing from judges at the Motion Picture Association of America.

Last fall, the MPAA's ratings board slapped the film with an NC-17 because of a scene that the board's chief called "unprecedented in the history of movies." (It shows Downey and co-star Heather Graham, fully clothed and behind a screen, engaging in an erotic encounter) Director James Toback has repeatedly appealed for an R. "With a couple more trims, I think we'll have it by Tuesday," Toback tells us. But having cut and recut the movie 10 times, Toback adds: "This is a rancid system." MAHARANI GIRL Madonna came back to where it all began for her New York's clubland and was welcomed with open arms and rose petals Saturday night Fans began packing the Roxy nightclub at 10 p.m. and waited four hours for the diminutive diva who's pushing her new album "Ray of Light" td come onstage. 1 The pop legend, who'll turn 40 this year, appeared at 2 a.m.

wearing a long black chiffon cape, which she quickly removed to reveal she is still CO UJ --J a co 0 Returning to her night club roots. Madonna arrives at the Roxy on Saturday to perform songs from her new "Ray of Light" album..