Recently many reports had stated that actor Tamannaah Bhatia was “rejected” from Dhurandhar’s item song ‘Shararat’, which ultimately featured Ayesha Khan and Krystle D’Souza. This came after the item number’s choreographer Vijay Ganguly gave an interview stating that he had initially envisioned Tamannaah for the song.
In an earlier interview with Filmgyan, Vijay had said, “In my head, she was the one. I had suggested her, but Aditya was very clear that he did not want what people call an item song—something that went out of the story. If it were just about one girl, it would have taken attention away from the story.”
He had added, “That’s why there are two girls, not one. He didn’t want the attention to be about this one person. If it were Tamannaah, it would’ve been about her and not the story. There was a lot going on in the film, and if you go away from the story, then the song is just a cut-to song.”
After his statements got viral many news outlets started reporting that the film’s director, Aditya Dhar, had “rejected” Tamannaah for the song. On Monday, the choreographer took to his Instagram stories to clarify that Tamannaah was never in contention to do the song.
“To clarify: Tamannaah Bhatia was never under consideration because her star power is so significant it might have overwhelmed the specific needs of this scene. In Dhurandhar, the music is woven into a high-stakes moment where the tension is key. The makers opted for two performers to keep the focus on the story’s progression. This choice was about protecting the film’s atmosphere and ensuring the narrative remains the hero of the sequence,” he wrote.
Addressing the way his words were interpreted, he added, “I genuinely enjoy conversations around cinema and the many layers that go into making a film. That said, I have often refrained from putting myself out there because, at times, words get selectively lifted, misquoted or sensationalised to serve headlines rather than the craft.”
Vijay also expressed disappointment over the direction the discussion had taken, saying, “It’s unfortunate that instead of the conversation staying on the song and the creative intent behind Shararat, the focus has shifted to comparisons between two wonderful artists, with strong and reductive terms like ‘rejections’ being used—something that was never the spirit of what was shared.”
He concluded with: “Cinema is collaborative. It thrives on respect, nuance and context. I hope we can keep the spotlight where it belongs—on the work and the many people who pour their hearts into it.”
Dhurandhar has raced past Chhaava and Saiyaara to become the highest grosser of the year. The film has made about Rs 573 crore till Monday as per Sacnilk.com.