Riya Sen played quite a spilsport on the sets of new director Ishraq Shah‘s “Ek Bura Aadmi” when she not only refused to shoot an item song with Arunoday Singh, but also refrained from interacting with the media invited to cover the shooting.
It was a nightmare, says the director. Riya says this is all a publicity gimmick.
Shah recalled: “Riya Sen had signed on to do an item song . We had recorded a really zingy song ‘Uchal gayee chamiya kunwaron ke beech mein‘. Jayesh Pradhan who did the choreography in ‘Aarakashan‘ was supposed to choreograph Riya’s number. Everything was finalised, But then…
“She claimed she was unwell and could not rehearse for the item song. Then she showed up for just one shot. I agreed since Arunoday had to leave (for a family event in the US). But then she refused to talk to the media.”
The director was left nervous.
“I’m a new director. This is all very new and embarrassing for me. My producer has suffered losses of at least 70-80 lakh because of this. I don’t know how I will shoot the song now.
“Arunoday has gone for a month. When he returns he immediately starts shooting for Madhur Bhandarkar‘s ‘Heroine‘. My mentor Gulzar saab had worked with the great Suchitra Sen. Look at what I had to go through on my birthday with her granddaughter!” added Shah.
An upset and ill Riya had another story to tell.
“This is all a publicity gimmick, as far as I can see. Ishraq Shah is a new director. I helped him out by agreeing to do the song. Besides, I thought the song was nice and I could use it in my shows.
“According to the contract, we were supposed to shoot on 4th and 5th October. He requested me to come for the shoot on the 3rd because he said Arunoday was leaving the same night for the US. I agreed out of kindness, although I’ve been unwell. But at the shoot there was pure chaos.
“There was a very strange set of media persons at the shoot whom I had never seen before. They kept coming in front of the camera while we were shooting. The director asked me to speak to the media. I refused.
“Please understand I wasn’t even supposed to shoot on Monday. Is this what I get for my kindness? Why use my name for publicity?”
Riya is also upset with veteran actor-filmmaker Dev Anand for allegating against her on her latecoming ways for his film “Chargesheet“.
“We recently had Dev Anand being quoted against me. I shot for his ‘Chargesheet‘ three years ago. If he had a problem with me, why didn’t he speak earlier? Why at the time of release?”
Last heard, Riya’s mother Moon Moon Sen was trying for a patch up between her daughter and the director of “Ek Bura Aadmi“.
— By Subhash K. Jha
