Sandalwood is now going the Bollywood way. This time, it’s actresses performing in just single songs without being part of the film. Leading actresses are agreeing to do a single song for a film even if they are not acting in it. Bhumika recently did a number in the flick Godfather. Nikita Thukral was in Snehitharu in a similar manner.

Actress Harshika Poonacha who did such a role in Murli meets Meera says, “In one way, it’s like you work for fewer days. Doing such a role, gives the actress more exposure. The song becomes a sensational hit. More often than not, the song is a bigger hit than the movie. Having such songs in a movie is a good thing but should be portrayed well.”

Actresses in the South are not yet comfortable with the idea of being labelled as item girls. Director Kavitha Lankesh says, “An item number kind of song in a film is a very good marketing strategy and adds value to a film and boosts it. The actresses are apprehensive about being called item girls. The actress has to be that much more renowned to rake in the moolah for the producer.” To this, actress Sharmila Mandre adds, “Earlier, when a popular girl was in an item song, she was stereotyped. The heroine would only do films. Such songs prove to be successful overnight and many watch the film simply because of that song.”

But such special performances definitely pay the actresses more than doing a full film. Harshika says, “After shooting for a fewer days, the pay is as good, if not better than signing a full-time film.” But the actresses particularly count on the mileage and the exposure this special performance gives. Harshika, who is open to doing such songs provided she is not tagged an item girl, says, “When an actress does a number like this, she even helps with the promotion of the film. As a heroine, you get better mileage and the song is beautiful. The song eventually gets promoted more than the film.”

These actresses know what they want and insist on not signing a role unless it is a promising song. She says, “Unless the song will be ‘the sensation’ of that time, I don’t want to take up the offer. I was approached in Kannada but I wasn’t convinced.”

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Showbiz> Sandalwood / by Khushali P. Madhwani, DC / August 07th, 2012