Mahesh
Bhatt
and
one
of
his
directorial
protegees
Kunal
Deshmukh
are
on
the
warpath.
The
culprit
is
the
much
talked-about
steamy
song
“Dil
Ibaadat" showing
Soha
Ali
Khan
and
Emraan
Hashmi
in
a
dreamy
steamy
state.
Apparently,
the
director
was
dead
against
slipping
in
the
steamy
stuff
into
his
film.
But
Mahesh
Bhatt
insisted.
And
now
when
the
film
Tum
Mile
is
on
the
verge
of
release,
Kunal
has
put
his
foot
down
about
the
inclusion
of
what
he
sees
as
an
embarrassing
titillating
intervention.
Initially
hesitant
to
discuss
the
pow-wow
with
his
mentor,
Kunal
Deshmukh
finally
conceded
there
was
problem
with
Mahesh
Bhatt.
"It's
true,
I
never
wanted
the
song
“Dil
Ibaadat" to
be
filmed
in
that
steamy
way.
In
fact,
I
shot
it
completely
differently
in
the
way
Bhatt
Saab
had
shot
the
song
“Jhuki
Jhuki
Si
Nazar"
in
Arth.
My
film
is
about
an
estranged
couple
who
meet
after
six
years
in
the
July
26
deluge
that
swept
Mumbai."
But
when
Bhatt
saw
the
song,
he
put
his
foot
down
and
asked
Kunal
to
re-do
it.
Says
Kunal,
"I
was
very
uncomfortable
with
the
idea.
But
I
had
no
choice
because
Bhatt
saab
is
a
pro.
He
has
been
in
the
business
for
thirty
years
whereas
I'm
just
two
films
old
and
completely
new
to
these
marketing
strategies."
Though
Deshmukh
gave
in
to
Bhatts'
pressure,
he
now
wants
the
song
removed.
"The
way
I
shot
the
song
earlier
as
homage
to
Bhatt
Saab's
“Jhuki
Jhuki
Si
Nazar" makes
more
sense
in
my
film.
I
won't
let
them
release
the
film
with
that
steamy
song."
However,
Mahesh
Bhatt
refuses
to
relent.
"Kunal
is
bright
director.
He
shot
“Dil
Ibaadat"
as
homage
to
my
Arth
song.
But
imitating
my
work
does
not
flatter
me.
It's
over
and
done
with.
I
left
direction
to
get
away
from
myself
on
screen.
The
last
thing
I
need
is
to
see
clones
of
my
work.
Kunal
and
I
are
fighting
it
out."
What
happened
to
Mahesh
Bhatt's
non-interfering
clause?
"I
still
maintain
it.
But
when
an
exceptional
talent
like
Kunal
Deshmukh
uses
older
references
I
owe
it
to
him
to
nudge
him
to
his
own
idiom."
Kunal
however
remains
adamant.
"I'll
have
my
song
restored
in
my
film
in
its
original
form.
Like
I
said
I'm
not
used
to
all
these
eyeball-grabbing
tactics.
Recently,
some
media
linked
me
to
Kangana
Ranaut
when
all
we
were
doing
was
meeting
up
for
a
coffee.
Some
would
consider
that
to
be
good
press.
But
I
cringed."
Story first published: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 12:03 [IST]