Silent Treatment

La Streisand publicist Lee Solters tells us that interview requests for Babs in conjunction with “Nuts” (opens Wednesday) number some 300 from around the world. Most publications have offered cover pieces, he claims. And “they’ve said, ‘She can talk about whatever she wants.’ ”

So where the heck is she? Turns out, she’s only talking to Gene Shalit--and the one-sitting, three-episode chat already ran last week on the “Today” show.

(It’s been two years since Streisand’s done a print interview--a phoner for the New York Times in reference to her album of Broadway show tunes.)

Howcum the semi-blackout? “She doesn’t feel like she has to (do interviews),” Solters explained. “She’s going to let the picture stand on its own feet.”

We had to ask if the silence has anything to do with much talked-about creative tusslings between Streisand and Martin Ritt, in which the star allegedly tended to override her veteran director. (Ritt bowed out of a scheduled appearance with Streisand on Shalit’s show, complaining of flu.)

“Because it’s Streisand, a word like override is used,” Solters said. “With anybody else, the word would be conference or discussion .’ ”

Anyway, he stressed, Streisand produced “Nuts,” “and it’s normal and professional for a producer and director to discuss things.”