DNA (July 3, 2014)

Prachi Desai’s Awari number from Ek Villain was a departure from her usual girl-next-door image. Prachi has always been cast as the sweet, innocent and coy Cinderella. In the song Awari, she plays a bar dancer with emotional issues who is seen drinking and expressing her angst. Prachi says shooting the song was, “Liberating! I have always found myself hot and sexy in my head! But people around me didn’t see me like that and always hesitated from approaching me and offering me anything bold. Awari gave me a chance to do something different, something that I was waiting for a long time and the credit goes to Mohit (Suri).” However, the song is hardly there in the film. She shrugs, “I don’t question the creative part of the film making. I was told that they had to cut it down to accommodate the length of the second half. I am happy that between the teasers on TV and the song in the film, the audience has been able to see the song.” Ask her if she’s happy now that she has broken the stereotyped so far, the actress sighs, “Yes, to an extent, but the kind of films coming my way are the same. There has to be that one role which will change everything for you. Like Aashiqui 2 did for Shraddha or Band Bajaa Baraat did for Anushka. I don’t want to be doing the same stuff that I have done in the past!”

BOMBAY TIMES (May 27, 2014)

Prachi Desai looks sexy in the upcoming track Awari from Ek Villain. Mohit Suri, known to make his actresses look beautiful, is not a believer in item songs and was looking for a girl who could look vulnerable. Prachi seems to have fit the bill for sure.

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 20, 2014)

Mohit Suri has added Prachi Desai to the cast of his upcoming thriller, Ek Villain. She bumped into him recently and expressed a desire to work with him. He instantly asked her to make an appearance in the fifth song of the film, Awari. "A special set is being erected in Film City where the song will be picturised later this week," confirms Tanuj Garg, the film's co-producer.

It's not a special song and dance number or a last-minute addition. It comes at an important juncture post interval and was always a part of the script. Says a source, "It's a sensual number shot in a bar but it will not be titillatingly sexy. It's a song about longing, yearning and pathos and is rendered by the Pakistani band Soch."

Mohit has always promoted Pakistani talent. Atif Aslam sang for him in Zeher and Kalyug and Mustafa Zahid for Awarapan, Aashiqui 2 and now Ek Villian as well. He discovered the underground Pakistani rock band Soch and decided to recreate their track, Awari in his film.

Adds the source, "Mohit has retained the melody but the orchestration is Indian and the lyrics have been rewritten. The band is delighted to be making their Bollywood debut in a Mohit Suri film."

The song is a duet. But Tanuj refuses to reveal which actor will be pairing up with Prachi. "That's a surprise," he says.