Sandalwood' hotties shake leg for Upendra

The more the merrier for Real Star Upendra. The actor's upcoming 3D flick, a first in Sandalwood, Katari Veera Sura Sundarangi will see him getting jiggy with three actors, Risheeka, Suman Ranganath and Ramanitu Chaudhary, in a special song sequence that will also feature Rebel Star Ambareesh.

While industry sources say it will be the item number of the season, the actors in the sequence claim it's a situational song.

According to sources, the original choice for this number was Shriya Saran. But she quoted mega bucks and the makers promptly decided to find replacements back home. While producer Muniratna admits that he had approached Shriya, he adds, "I could not sign her on, as the dates we required to shoot this song were clashing with her promotional duties as the brand ambassador of the celebrity cricket tourney."

Not an item number: Risheeka

Risheeka, we hear was the Real Star's recommendation for the song. "Upendra was impressed with my act in Kalla Malla Sulla and suggested my name for the Katari number," says Risheeka, adding that she was thrilled to work with Uppi, even if only for a song. "Now that I've got this opportunity, I want to do a full-fledged film with Uppi next," she says. But what Risheeka doesn't agree with is the song being branded as an item number. She would rather call it a situational number. "The song comes up in a sequence set in Yamaloka. Yama (played by Ambareesh) claims his Rambe, Urvashi and Menaka are the best, while Uppi argues that his modern babes are a notch better. This argument has been woven into a song," she tells us.

No Catfights: Ramanitu Chaudhary

Three girls in a song is a potent situation for a catfight, but that wasn't case with Ramanitu Chaudhary. "Risheeka is really chilled out and Suman is a true professional and doesn't indulge in gossip. We bonded well and enjoyed the shoot to the hilt," says Ramanitu. Having played leading roles in Kannada films, didn't she have any qualms about doing an item song? "This track goes with the story of the film. And since there are no jhatkas and matkas involved, you can't call it an item number. I would have thought twice about accepting it if this was just another item song," says Ramanitu. Was she aware that this song was originally offered to Shriya? "No, and it doesn't concern me who it was offered to before me. I'm just happy that I'm featuring in a never-seen-before kind of avatar in Sandalwood, as I've never worn a short skirt before," she adds.

Another Chitranna: Suman Ranganath

It's a second time opposite the Real Star for Suman Ranganath. The last time they teamed up, they created the chartbusting Chitranna from Buddhivanta.