Priyadarshan who had all but lost his battle to get the Mallika Sherawat number out of his new film Tezz, won a partial victory on the last minute.
Or so he thought.
The producers apparently agreed to take away Sherawat's item number from all prints in Delhi and Mumbai.
Says a source just about Priyadarshan, "Priyan was very sure he wanted the song removed at any cost. However the producers pleaded that the prints had already gone overseas and to the non-metropolitan centres. Priyan and Ratan Jain finally came to a compromise. The producer agreed to edit Mallika's number out of all prints within the metropolitan cities. However, finally Jain said he could only keep his word in Mumbai and Delhi."
Said a detailed friend of the director, "Priyan was requested to let the song be in non-metropolitan centers. He said the audiences will love Mallika's gyrations in Bihar, UP and likeminded centers. Though Priyan disagreed with the logistics dividing audiences in metropolitan and non-metropolitan groups, he relented because Ratan Jain spent 1 crores 35 lakh rupees at the song. However, expensive it can be the song needed to exit of Delhi and Mumbai."
Or so Priyadarshan believed until Thursday afternoon, hours before the film's release.
When this writer contacted Ratan Jain, he said, "No the song is included everywhere (including Delhi and Mumbai)."
When one touched base with Priyan again, he was livid, "What am i able to say? I GET to grasp they don't seem to be removing the song only now. I DO NOT need to say anything negative when the film is hours clear of release."
