Dabangg's back in the saddle

Mumbai: Following reports that he wouldn't be directing the Dabangg sequel after it was revealed that he was looking for work with other banners, Abhinav Kashyap decided to mend bridges by calling producer Arbaaz Khan.

Salman's younger bro admits, "Abhinav did call me. You see, every big banner makes a three-film deal with a director. We have no such deal in place with him. He's free to direct films outside our banner. Our ties are emotional, not contractual."

That said, Arbaaz will be more involved in the filmmaking for the sequel. He will write the script in collaboration with Kashyap.

Says Khan, "During Dabangg, I'd suggest changes and Abhinav would incorporate them. It was time-consuming. This time, I'll be actively involved with the writing during scripting. We've a bigger responsibility this time."

Reacting to reports of Kashyap not helming Dabangg 2, Arbaaz says, "Let him tell me that he doesn't want to do it. So far he hasn't. Why should I believe what I hear until he says it? I am aware that he has been going out for negotiations with many production houses. With us, he shares a different rapport. Our 'contract' is a moral one."

Khan reveals he won't pay his director a fatter fee just because Dabangg is a blockbuster. "We don't work that way. Dabangg worked because of many factors. And it is an expensive film. When it clicked during the first week, I gifted him a car worth Rs 25 lakh. That came from the heart. He can't make demands of us. We work on a different equation."