We will use Lata song later: Bhandarkar

Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) After recording a song by the increasingly reclusive Lata Mangeshkar for his new film "Corporate", Madhur Bhandarkar and his music composer Shamir Tandon decided to keep back the song for a rainy day.

When asked Bhandarkar about it, he was surprised "Oh! They are writing that I have dropped Lataji's song! Who in his right mind would do something so outrageous' We did record a song with Lataji because after she sang 'Kitne ajeeb rishtey hain yahan par' in 'Page 3', we consider her a lucky mascot.

"She did a beautiful song for us. We planned to use it. But it just didn't fit in. So Lataji, Shamir and I decided to use it in some other film. Now Shamir and I have decided to use it in a future project. A song by her is too precious," Bhandarkar told IANS.

After "Rang De Basanti", Bhandarkar is hoping "Corporate" would be the second surprise success of 2006.

"It has no conventional storytelling, no real leading man or leading lady. The film has no conventional format or trappings. I have used unusual devices, like the peons in the industrial houses serving as narrators, just like the chauffeurs in 'Page 3'."

The cola-and-food war story was devised by a creative team who studied the real-life internecine struggles between corporate houses before zeroing in on this project.

"'Corporate' was the most difficult film to make. I had to walk a tightrope to keep the proceedings on an even keel. 'Chandni Bar' and 'Page 3' could have become totally sleazy or spoofy. My films always have a human angle. That's true of 'Corporate' more than any of my films."

After making "Corporate", Bhandarkar is creatively satisfied.

"I feel a huge growth in me as a filmmaker. I was warned against making a film about a theme that doesn't have universal appeal. 'Who'd want to see a film on the corporate world'' I was advised to shoot a love story abroad. But all my films are Mumbai-based. I find endless stories to tell in this city. I see no reason to step out of the city.

"While interacting with people for 'Page 3', I came across lots of people from the corporate world. So I got the idea for making 'Corporate' while making 'Page 3'. The jargon, the trade talk, the give-and-take of ideas in the industrial world were new to me. I got friends of mine from the corporate world to contribute."

The film has cameos by real-life celebrities like lyricist Javed Akhtar, ad-man Prahlad Kakkar and Ashok Pandit.

He is all praise for his actors, especially Bipasha Basu.

"Bipasha will be taken very seriously after this movie. People will love her performance as Nishigandha Dasgupta. Every actor from Kay Kay (Menon) to Sammir Dattani is in-character. Everyone on the sets, 40-50 characters, behaved liked one big family. This is my first film in 18 months. Of course, I feel I could have made 'Corporate' better. But I am very happy with it."

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Corporate