The battle between Hero and Hero-Panti intensifies...

Subhash Ghai refused to part with the title Hero for Jackie Shroff’s son Tiger’s launch as a leading man in producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s film. Sajid’s film had to be titled Hero-panti, though both Sajid and Jackie keenly wanted Hero. But now Sajid Nadiadwala has had his revenge. He has taken the rights of the legendary flute based theme from Ghai’s Hero, leaving Salman Khan who is producing the remake of Hero with Suraj Pancholi, high and dry. Salman has been heard asking what a remake of Hero would be like without the flute music that made the film so special. Says a source close to the Hero remake, “Salman was very keen to get the songs and music of the original Hero from Subhash Ghai. But while selling the remake rights of the film to Salman, Ghai revealed that the rights of all the songs and music composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal for Hero are with the music company Saregama-HMV. And Sajid Nadiadwala has already acquired the rights of the flute theme from Hero from Saregama-HMV.” Apparently it was Jackie who suggested to Sajid Nadiadwala to acquire the rights for the flute passage. Says the source, “Jackie loves the flute music in Hero. The flute was played by Hariprasad Chaurasia. And though Ghai did not allow Jackie’s son’s film to get the title Hero, Jackie is thrilled that the flute music that made Jackie a star in Hero would accompany Jackie’s son Tiger’s debut in Hero-panti.” Apparently director Nikhil Advani whom Salman personally asked to direct Hero is stumped by the idea of directing Hero without the flute music. Says the source, “Nikhil was very keen on two musical pieces from the original Hero: the flute passage and the song Lambi judai sung by Reshma. He is dismayed he has lost the flute.” But there’s hope for the Hero remake. Salman only has to ask his best-friend Sajid Nadiadwala for the flute passage and it’s his for the taking. But would Salman want to take away the glory from Sajid’s Hero-panti? About the celebrated flute theme from Hero Jackie eulogizes, “That Hero flute passage is very sureela. Do you know who played it in the film? The maestro Hari Prasad Chaurasia himself! I’ve been a fan of Panditji since then. And now whenever I hear it I feel I am transported back to my beginnings in the movies. That flute passage was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Pandit Chaurasia played it for me. It played a big hand in launching me as a romantic hero.”