The
cat
is
out
of
the
bag.
Ekta
Kapoor
and
her
director
Milan
Luthria
were
looking
for
a
neo-Helen
for
the
longest
time.
The
original
plan
of
discovering
a
completely
untried
dancer
failed
as
time
was
running
out.
They've
finally
zeroed
in
on
Gauhar
Khan
who
has
been
secretly
jiving
away
to
Helen's
most
popular
cabaret
'Piya
Tu
Ab
To
Aaja'
for
Luthria's
Once
Upon
A
Time
In
Mumbai.
Raju
Khan
has
been
brought
to
do
the
choreography
for
what's
touted
as
the
most
expensive
cabaret
ever
shot
in
Bollywood.
Gauhar
danced
to
the
beats
of
'Piya
Tu
Ab
To
Aaja'
so
hard
last
week
that
a
shard
of
shattered
glass
wounded
her
leg.
The
director
and
her
excited
producer
intend
to
unveil
their
new-age
Helen
and
the
prized
recreation
of
the
smouldering
cabaret
number
from
the
1970s
at
an
elaborate
press
conference
later
this
month.
But
the
behind-the-scenes
stress
and
arguments
to
get
this
cabaret
item
in
place
are
even
more
interesting
than
the
cabaret
itself.
Apparently,
the
composer
Pritam
Chakraborty
refused
to
do
a
straight
re-mix
of
'Piya
Tu
Ab
To
Aaja'.
There
were
heated
arguments
between
the
composer
and
the
film's
producer
and
director
over
the
issue.
Finally,
Pritam
got
his
way
and
recorded
a
totally
new
version
of
the
song.
Says
Pritam,
"I
really
see
no
point
in
doing
a
straight-off
remix
especially
when
it's
an
R.
D.
Burman
track.
That
means
the
original
is
still
fresh
in
the
listeners'
mind.
Why
should
I
tamper
with
an
evergreen?
So
what
I've
done
for
Milan's
cabaret
is
to
incorporate
just
a
bit
of
R.D.'s
'Piya
Tu
Ab
To
Aaja'
from
Caravan
and
'Duniya
Mein
Logon
Ko'
from
Apna
Desh.
The
rest
of
the
song
is
my
original
composition."
Apparently,
when
Gauhar
Khan
heard
the
song
she
flipped
out.
Laughs
Pritam,
"Yes
they
all
loved
the
song.
But
I
won't
do
a
re-mix
of
an
R.
D.
Burman
or
any
other
composition."
Rohan
Sippy's
Abhishek
Bachchan-featured
drug-busting
Goan
drama
has
a
hitch.
Composer
Pritam
Chakraborty
is
aghast
to
hear
that
Rohan
Sippy
has
titled
his
film
Dum
Maro
Dum
and
that
the
makers
would
like
him
to
do
a
remix
of
the
number.
Pritam
vigorously
says,
"Like
I
said
I
don't
do
remixes,
ever.
And
certainly
not
re-mixes
of
R.D.
Burman
compositions.
R.D.
has
taken
his
songs
as
far
as
they
can
go.
There's
nothing
more
that
I
or
anyone
else
can
do
to
an
R.D.
Burman
track.
So
I'll
just
use
his
famous
opening
riff
from
'Dum
Maro
Dum'.
The
rest
of
the
composition
will
be
mine.
In
any
case
this
will
be
an
instrumental
piece
for
the
credit
titles
in
Dum
Maro
Dum."
In
fact,
Pritam
didn't
even
know
Sippy's
film
was
titled
Dum
Maro
Dum.
Apparently,
the
other
title
being
seriously
considered
was
Subah
Ko
Karo
Salaam.
Says
Pritam,
"Even
that
would've
been
a
problem
to
compose
since
R.D.
Burman
had
done
a
fabulous
job
of
those
words
Subah
Ko
Karo
Salaam
in
a
TV
serial
of
that
title."
Story first published: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 16:03 [IST]