/> Just 5 days to go before the release of Tezz and director Priyadarshan is still waging a do-or-die war against Mallika Sherawat's item song that was shot and incorporated by producer Ratan Jain without the director's permission or presence.

Priyan is determined to get the extraneous element out of his film. He has in fact lined up a meeting with Jain for Monday where Priyan is sure he's get his way.

Says the director, "Tezz is my fifth film with Ratan Jain. I've never had this kind of an experience before with this producer. It isn't as if I'm against item songs. I've had them before in my films. And I've nothing against Mallika Sherawat.

It's just that this item number doesn't fit into Tezz. It has been shot without me, my cinematographer or any member of my Tezz crew. The producer took choreographer Ganesh Acharya into confidence and shot the song.

It sticks out like a sore thumb. I'd be embarrassed to have have this number in my film. This film has no scope for an item song. "

Priyan says he has more or less got Jain to see his point of view.

"We've a meeting on Monday where a final call will be taken, " says Priyan confidently.

Ratan Jain has another story to tell. "I respect Priydarshan's point of view. But I can't see what the fuss is about. It's just 2 ½ minutes at the beginning of the film. Why is he so against it?

See, as a technician he understands that the item song is shot differently from the rest of the film. But the audiences don't care about these things.

To them it's just an item song, to be enjoyed and quickly forgotten. I'm a producer and a businessman. I understand what sells. "

So is Jain saying that Priyan's determination to get the item song out would not prevail? The producer hesitates from answering the question outright. "Why is everyone so interested in just the item song in Tezz? There's so much more to the film. "

A source close to Priyadarshan turns Jain's question around to ask, "Why is he so interested in keeping the item song when it doesn't fit in? He can use it in another film. "

This friend of Priyan insists that Mallika has to go. "She will just have to find another film to dance in, " says Priyan's friend tersely.