Elections push Mallika Sherawat's political film, item song to be added

A veiled warning not to release his film based on a scandal that rocked the Congress government in Rajasthan, has given producer-director K C Bokadia space to build on his leading lady Mallika Sherawat’s voluptuary quotient in Dirty Politics. Bokadia now plans to shoot an extra item song just after his son’s marriage on 15 May. Mallika whose box office status in Bollywood is dodgy and dubious, has apparently pinned all her hopes on Dirty Politics to revive her slumping career. With much-hyped films about female politicians/activists Gulab Gang and Revolver Rani not doing well at the box office, Mallika and Bokadia have reason to feel panicky. Says a source close to the project, “Sherawat rang up Bokadia. She told him she was willing to go to any length to ensure the film works. Since films about female netas covered from head to toe don’t work, both Bokadia and Sherawat have decided their film needs that extra dash of oomph. The images of Sherawat in Dirty Politics clad in a demure saree have not gone down well with distributors. They want that spicy Mallika ka tadka.” A sizzling song and dance is being added to Dirty Politics, though it isn’t clear how that fits in with the image of the Rajasthani politician that Sherawat plays. While there has been a rush of other political films to be released this electoral reason, K C Bokadia had to hastily withdraw his political drama Dirty Politics, apparently under pressure from elements within the ruling Congress regime. The film is based on the mysterious disappearance and alleged murder of Rajasthan’s nurse Bhanwari Devi. The Congress politician Mahipal Maderna had allegedly been named as an accused. In the film Mallika Sherawat plays Bhanwari Devi while Om Puri is cast as a politician modelled on Maderna. Bokadia planned to release in the thick of elections. But was “advised” against doing so by Congress elements, as it was felt the film would damage the Congress’ image during the elections and influence a section of the ballots. Reluctant to talk about it, or to even admit that his film is based on Bhanwari Devi Bokadia says, “It’s true I was going to release my film in the election season. But there was some pressure on me not to do so by political elements who thought my film would portray their interests in a bad light during elections. The fact of the matter is, Mallika’s character Anokhi Devi is shown being affiliated to any political party. Since a girl with Mallika’s sexy image is playing a politician we’ve decided to add a lot of oomph. She surrendered completely to my film and told me, ‘Bokadia Saab, aapko joh bhi pehnana hai ya nahin pehnana hai, main sab kuch karne ko tayaar hoon’. This film will mark the return of Mallika Sherawat just as my Phool Bane Angaaray brought Rekha back after some serious image damage.” Phool Bane Angaaray had been released months after Rekha’s husband Mukesh Aggarwal had committed suicide. Hopefully distributors won’t commit suicide after Mallika’s comeback effort.