Choreographer Vijay Ganguly has cleared the air around his recent statement about Tamannaah Bhatia being rejected by director Aditya Dhar for the Shararat song from Dhurandhar. The choreographer took to his social media to clarify that the actress was never under consideration for the part.
Vijay Ganguly clarifies his statement
Vijay penned a long note on his Instagram stories, wherein he wrote, “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 added, “I genuinely enjoy conversations around cinema and the many layers that go into making a film. That said, I`ve often refrained from putting myself out there because, at times, words get selectively lifted, misquoted or sensationalised to serve headlines rather than the craft. 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.”
The choreographer went on to reveal, “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. 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.”
What Vijay Ganguly said
The controversy sparked after Vijay said that he wanted to cast Tamannaah Bhatia in the song during an interview with Filmygyan. He added that the idea was, however, rejected by director Aditya Dhar. The choreographer stated, “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 further shared, “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.”Jo ho raha tha film mein, there was a lot going on, and if you go away from the story, then the song is just a cut-to song.”
