By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) A series of musical evenings entitled "Dum Maro Dum Nite" are being planned across Indian metros over the next two weeks and the team wants singing legend Asha Bhosle to give the venture her blessings.
Directed by Rohan Sippy, the film that also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Prateik and Rana Daggubati, will release April 22.
Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star India who has co-produced "Dum Maro Dum", is guarded in disclosing plans visa-a-vis Asha Bhosle.
"All I can say is, we would be very happy and proud if she gave us her thumbs up. At the moment I am not at a liberty to say anything more. We'd like Ashaji to know that 'Dum maro dum' is not just a song for us, it is the heartbeat of our film. It's our film's title. Our song and film are a homage to Ashaji and R.D. Burman," said Singh.
It is learnt that these stage performances would feature Rana Daggubati, who is making his debut in Bollywood with "Dum Maro Dum", Anushka Manchanda who has sung the title song and composer Pritam Chakraborty.
"I can't reveal the exact plans. But no one will be disappointed," said Rana about his forthcoming stage performances.
Abhishek Bachchan, who has sung one of the songs in "Dum Maro Dum", is also expected to warble on stage.
But the big news is that Asha Bhosle, who sang the original "Dum maro dum" for Dev Anand's 1971 movie "Hare Rama Hare Krishna", is expected to give her blessings for the "Dum Maro Dum" nites.
The singer, never known to mince words, has shot down all comparisons between her version of "Dum maro dum" and the new one. "Just because you call a hotel 'Taj' it doesn't become the Taj Mahal," she was quoted as saying.
Interestingly the team does not intend to take the "Dum Maro Dum Nite" to Goa where the film is located. Apparently the heat of the Goan authorities, who have raised objections to the way the touristic place has been projected in the film, would be too much for the "Dum Maro Dum" to handle.
"We're restricting ourselves to the metros. Goa is not part of our Dum Maro Dum Nite plans," said Singh.