Then Niddhi Agerwal Missed Mirai, Now Neha Shetty Misses OG

Earlier, songs were a big part of films. Even after a movie was released, filmmakers sometimes added new songs to attract audiences back to theatres. Songs were considered so important that they were given a place no matter what the story was. But now, things are different. Today’s audience wants engaging stories without breaks. If a song feels out of place, it can disturb the flow and reduce the impact of the film.

Even though producers still spend large amounts of money shooting songs in foreign locations, directors are now more careful during editing. If they feel a song doesn’t fit the story, they remove it, even if it cost crores to shoot. This trend has become more common in recent years.

Pawan Kalyan’s latest film They Call Him OG released today. Directed by Sujeeth, the movie shows Pawan Kalyan in a powerful and stylish role, something fans were waiting to see. The film has opened to positive response, but one thing caught attention. Neha Shetty had filmed a special song for OG in Bangkok back in December 2024 and even shared a glimpse on social media. However, the song is not in the final film. At a press meet held today, Sujeeth and music director Thaman said they never promised the song’s release and confirmed it will not be released later.

A similar case happened with Mirai. The film, directed by Karthik Gattamneni, had a song featuring Niddhi Agerwal shot in Sri Lanka. But the makers decided it didn’t match the film’s action-adventure mood, which also had mythological themes. Karthik confirmed that the song won’t be released now, though they may consider using it in the sequel, Mirai – Jaithraya.

These cases show how filmmakers now prioritize story flow over songs. For them, keeping the audience hooked to the narrative has become more important than adding star-studded songs.