Director Priyadarshan who did not want the Laila song to be part of Tezz has apparently relented to its inclusion. The producer and the director had a meeting on Monday to resolve the issue, reports Mumbai Mirror.
“The song was shot with Priyan‘s approval. I went to Wai to meet him, and he had no objection to it. He was present during the post production too. I am on very good terms with him and he is now promoting the film in different cities,” Ratan Jain has confirmed to the tabloid.
Director Priyadarshan recently said Mallika’s item number in the film was not required and was added just for promotions.
“I never wanted the item song in the film but the producers (Ratan Jain of Venus) said we are a musical company and hence it came in the film. They went ahead with it and producers naturally are always right as they spend money all the time. I did not want to do it, so they shot it without me, but that is fine,” Priyadarshan had told PTI in an interview.
“The song in Tezz is not needed. It is placed without any connection. But such things they do for promotions.. and that is what they mean. Tezz is not a musical film.. it is an action film, so they feel item songs and all are important for promotion. So I don’t know whether they are right or me,” he had said.
Mallika Sherawat is seen grooving in a copper outfit to the item number sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, choreographed by Ganesh Acharya and composed by music duo Sajid-Wajid. Reportedly, three names had cropped for this song – Mallika Sherawat, Sameera Reddy and Jiah Khan.
The filmmaker insists he is not against the idea of having item numbers in a film but all he says is there must be reason for it to be part of the movie.
“I am basically against item songs, which are put in the film without any reason. I have also shot item numbers, but only when it is needed. It should go with the film and it should not stand separately without any connection with the movie,” he said.
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Priyadarshan, who lost his battle to get the Mallika Sherawat number out of his new film Tezz, almost won a partial victory at the last minute.
The producers apparently agreed to remove the item number from all prints in Delhi and Mumbai.
“Priyan was very sure he wanted the song removed at any cost,” says a source. “But the producers pleaded that the prints had already gone oversaes and to the non-metropolitan centres. Priyan and (producer) Ratan Jain finally came to a compromise. Jain agreed to edit Mallika’s number out of all prints in the metropolitan cities. However, finally he said he could only keep his word in Mumbai and Delhi.
“Priyan was requested to let the song be in non-metropolitan centres. He said the audiences will love Mallika’s gyrations in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and like-minded centres,” continues the source. “Though Priyan disagreed with the logistics dividing audiences in metropolitan and non-metropolitan groups, he relented because Ratan Jain spent Rs 1 crores 35 lakh on the song.”
Or so Priyadarshan believed until Thursday afternoon, a day before the film’s release.
When this writer contacted Ratan Jain, he said, “No the song is included everywhere (including Delhi and Mumbai).”
Priyadarshan was livid once again. “What can I say? I am getting to know they are not removing the song only now. I don’t want to say anything negative when the film is hours away from release,” he said.