We've been hearing of an item song in the big-budget under-production film that according to the grapevine is to be performed by some A-lister.
Not so fast! Before the item girl has a blast on screen she would have to go through close scrutiny by the film's producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Sajid Khan.
While Khan favours the tried-and-tested formula of getting an A-lister actress on board, Nadiadwala feels the item song by a hot-and-happening actress has truly been done to death and to keep audiences' interests alive in the cult of the item song, the phenomenon of the surprise dance must really and radically be re-invented.
"Really, after Munni and Sheila and all the others there's not much that can be done with an item song with just a big-name actress dancing to it, " Nadiadwala argues and favours a new stunner to perform the item song in Housefull 2. Or else, the enterprising producer who has set aside a budget of Rs 95 crores for Housefull 2 wants 2 A-listers for the item song.
However Khan apparently feels that Jacqueline Fernandez who was a virtual unknown when she performed the item song to the remixed version of the Bachchan chartbuster Apni to jaise taise in Housefull proves that an item song by a solo performer is very much a commercially viable proposition. The number was to be originally performed by Sushmita Sen.
And that brings us to the other bone of contention between the two Sajids. After the copyright-related harassment that Nadiadwala faced on using the old hit Apni to jaise taise in Housefull, he wants to record a completely new item song for Housefull 2.
Says Nadiadwala, "Creating a new excitement in the item song has become very difficult. All the top actresses have been seen in item songs. What do we do?"
Khan was more guarded in his response, "It's early to say anything about it. We're shooting it after three months. "