Vidya Balan's 'lavani' is not an item number: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Mumbai: Actress Vidya Balan would be doing a lavani song in filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s forthcoming film Ferrari Ki Sawari, which the producer does not like to be called an item number. Vidya and Chopra’s association dates back to Parineeta and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, in which she played the lead roles. But this time around, in Ferrari Ki Sawari she would be seen doing her first ever item song. [caption id=“attachment_303671” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”]  [/caption] “I don’t like the word, item number…it puts me off. Item number means our film is not good, so we got an item girl to do an item song. We are doing a lavani (a Maharashtrian folk dance) in the film. The scene is a part of a wedding which Sharman attends in the film,” Chopra told reporters here last evening. “The director (Rajesh Mapuskar) went to Pune to look for dancers. He messaged me from Pune and recommended Vidya, but I told him to leave it. He told me again to ask her so I sent a message to Vidya. She said she had been dying to do a ’lavani’ for 15 years,” he said. Vidya took about 15 days to rehearse and get into the nuances of the dance. Lavani seems to be in trend currently as even Katrina Kaif had performed a lavani item song Chikni Chameli in Agneepath, which became quite popular. In Ferrari Ki Sawaari, there is no lead actress, Chopra said, adding that he believes in telling good stories, not in lead actors or actresses. “We don’t make movies for leading men, leading women or item numbers. We don’t believe in that. We believe in a good story that is well told,” the filmmaker said. “I remember when Parinda was released, a Punjab distributor told me that the film would flop because Jackie Shroff doesn’t have a heroine, but the movie did well.” Chopra added. Directed by debutant Rajesh Mapuskar, Ferrari Ki Sawari stars Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani in the lead, and is slated to be released on 15th June. PTI