YEH DIL MAANGE MORE….

Hello everybody,

It’s not everyday that you get to see a song and dance number in Hollywood with the exception of films like Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge, Chicago and a couple of others, but in Hindi films you surely do, it adds to the splendour of the film. But these days, if I may put it, song and dance sequences tends to get over the top, sometimes out of place and at times vulgar. There are different views expressed on the growing trend of ‘item numbers’ fast catching up in films today and their pros and cons as expressed by actors, choreographers etc.

I had written this article during my post-grad days for our monthly in-house magazine. I have retained the quotes given by the actors and choreographers and the body of the text except that I have updated it to the current day.

So are you ready for some excitement…….then read on!!
Love, Sonyaa

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Just think for a moment and figure this out…some of these films were boo-boo at the B.O. (Box-Office); let’s see what you still remember about them.

In Ghatak, Mamta Kulkarni’s teasing number Koi Jaaye to Le Aaye, in Fiza, Sushmita’s graceful moves Mehboob Mere, in China-gate Urmila’s quick moves in Chhamma Chhamma, in Musafir Koena’s seductive number Saki Saki, in Aag Urmila’s curvy moves in Mehbooba O Mehbooba and sooooooo…. many more!

Got a hint??

Enter into the age of item numbers…Gone are the days when the chances of a film doing well were alone determined by good performances and direction. Now an item number alone can swing the fate of a film at the B.O. For starters an ‘item number’ has nothing to do with the script of the film; it’s simply an add-on or like a music video set in a disco or a stage show just as a promotional or a marketing gimmick for the film to sell. These songs are hot, raunchy, peppy and exuding sex appeal that leaves the audience swooning and crooning for more….in short they want to see it again and again. So even if the film flops, the number does the trick.

But what makes you feel all the more uncomfortable is that when you are in the theatre with your family and you think that everything’s going fine when all of a sudden you see this semi-clad girl breaking into a seductive number and the front-bencher’s whistling endlessly! And if you happen to watch this film at home with your family, you’re restless and just itching to get your hands on the remote control before you end up watching the chorus of the song! And that’s precisely the point of discontent among viewers and cine-goers today.

To this Sandip Sopparkar, noted choreographer differs on his views on the current trend of item numbers in films today. He adds “Item numbers are fantastic, spicy…just like a cherry on the cake. It always existed, like you have Helen’s cabaret, Shammi Kapoor’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, Mithun’s disco numbers. So, nothing really has changed, except the trends. And in the future other dance forms like Jazz, Latin American dance, Salsa will take over.”

Relatively unknown artistes like Isha Khallas Koppikkar, Yana’s Babuji Dheere Chalo, Malaika Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan Arora and her pole dance number Maahi Ve, Rakhee Sawant’s Mohabbat Hai Mirchi, Mumait Dekh Le Khan’s number in Munnabhai MBBS have catapulted to fame with just an item number.

Now a day’s top-rung actors and actresses have also entered this item number brigade. They are paid a bomb to make an appearance or sometimes it’s just out of goodwill that they’re willing to shake a leg in the film. We have Rani’s mesmerising Kaali Nagin Si( Mann), Shilpa Shetty’s hip-shaking Main Aayi Hoon UP, Bihar lootne(Shool), Aishwarya’s naughty number Kajra Re (Bunty Aur Babli), Payal Rohtagi gyrating her curves to O Sikander in Corporate.

And in Karan’s film, if his lucky mascots Kajol or Rani don’t feature in it, they sure do in a blink-n-miss appearance in the songs of his films.

And now days with the trend of remaking and rehashing old classics fast catching up, the songs too are not spared! The songs are straight lifted from their original films with a fast beat and music. Take Mallika Sherawat and Urmila Matondkar’s rendition of Mehbooba O Mehbooba in Aap Ka Surroor and Aag which was graced by Helen in Sholay. And once again the seductive number by Helen in Don was aped by Kareena in Yeh Mera Dil but was no match to the original dance number!

And these days, there’s no one taking any chances on that…item numbers are as accommodative as the film in itself. Talk of breaking newer records on the length of the film or the heaviest costumes worn by ‘so and so’ actress, here’s a new record of sorts with the maximum actors and actresses making a guest appearance in just one song!!

In Om Shanti Om we had a bevy of stars right from Rekha, Jeetendra, Mithun to Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Shilpa Shetty, Tabu, Amisha Patel, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan….Phew…just Deewanagi Deewanagi…I lost count of the stars who made it and those who missed out on Farah’s list made it to bro Sajid’s film in Heyy Baby with the likes of Amrita Rao, Amrita Arora, Malaika Arora Khan etc! Just goes to remind me of a song from a film of the 70’s,John Jani Janardhan….which had all the star couples making a dashing entry into the party!!

And what’s more interesting is that we also have item boys - Take Shah Rukh’s Ishq Kameena (Shakti), Abhishek Bachchan’s One love (Rakht) and the recent film Krazzy 4 where we had not one but two item boys…yes..Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik each of them ringing the cash counters to the B.O!!

And what’s more, songs are packaged in such a way that they keep you glued in the starting credits of the film like Hum Logon Ko from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani or even Signal Pyar Ka Signal from Bhagam Bhag till the end credit rolls – take the album Mauja Hi Mauja from Jab We Met

For actors it’s an acid test to see if the audience are willing to accept them in this new avatar. Before, it was only when the film was released that one got to hear the songs. But now they are all over. They are on the charts, radios and television weeks before the film release. Why?? Simple, it’s music that sells.

And who says a film devoid of hot-n-raunchy number won’t sell? Take Taare Zameen Par…kudos to Aamir Khan for making such a fine film or even a Shyam Benegal or Govind Nihalani film…not a scene, a moment or even a song in the film is out of place! But directors today tend to forget that the SCRIPT is the real hero of the film.

For Indian audience, music is food and food is something you cannot possibly live without. To this Sonali Kulkarni, an actress says “An item number definitely adds to the excitement and curiosity of the film. More importantly, Indians have always been passionate about song and dance, so it is definitely an important part of a film.”

So, there we are; good music is indeed the soul of a film. In short, whether your film is good or bad but the music has to be the best and an item number would indeed be the high-point of your film.

But Ruby Bhatia, anchor and VJ, thinks otherwise. She says “Item numbers that are sensual and seductive are not in good taste, you cannot possibly watch them along with your family. Sex sells, so does an item number. As human beings we’re evolving, so whatever we do should be a life enriching process and a step in the right direction. But item numbers are lowering moral values and are a cheap form of entertainment.”

Today, item numbers are a rage because the audience wants more of it… and their taste keeps changing, but with the recent success of Kajra Re, Kaal Dhamaal, Deewangi Deewangi, Mauja hi Mauja looks like item numbers are here to stay!