While the Big B's character, in keeping with his sober no-nonsense personality, was denied the `privilege` of singing we now hear Ramcharan Teja who plays Vijay in the new Zanjeer would sing after all.
This flash-decision was taken in the light of Ramcharan's latest Telugu blockbuster Naayak where his singing and dancing have brought the collective Andhra audience to its feet.
Earlier it was decided Ramcharan's Vijay in Zanjeer would sing and dance only in the film's Telugu version when the Telugu film industry is up in arms against their pinup idol Ramcharan Teja's presence in the remake of the Amitabh Bachchan neo-classic Zanjeer.
Ramcharan's fans in Andhra Pradesh who are known to break into mob fights in support of their idol, came to know that the Telugu superstar won't be singing and dancing in his Hindi debut.
And Ramcharan not dancing is to his fans as unacceptable as Salman Khan not taking off his shirt for his films.
Says a source from Hyderabad, `There are two different versions of Zanjeer being made in Hindi and Telugu. The content of both is supposed to be exactly the same. Only the language is different. Now, the cop as played by Bachchan Saab in the original neither sang nor danced.
In fact many of the ruling superstars of the time including Dev Anand and Dharmendra had turned down the role because of the song-less protagonist.
In the remake the director Apoorva Lakhia was absolutely certain Ramcharan Teja won't sing. But now there will be a song and dance where Ramcharan will shake a leg with Priyanka Chopra. Lakhia is still adamant on not giving his hero any songs. So the Ram-Priyanka number would either be a dream sequence or part of the end-titles. `
According to the source Ramcharan's fans have threatened to burn down theatres screening the Telugu version of Zanjeer if he doesn't sing and dance. Apoorva has now come to a compromise. An additional song and dance would be shot for the Telugu version.
Apparently Lakhia is not too happy with the compromise.
Says the source, `He was certain that his hero in Zanjeer would not even sing in the bathroom. But what to do? He has to keep Ramcharan's image of a action-dancing superstar in mind. They go mad when their hero dances. They get even madder when he doesn't. `
