In Indian cinema, an item number or item song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, and Bengali cinema) to describe a catchy, upbeat, often provocative dance sequence for a song performed in a movie. [1] The main aim of an item number is to entertain movie-goers and to lend support to the marketability of the film by being featured in trailers. [2] They are favoured by filmmakers as they afford the opportunity to pick potential hit songs from the stocks, since they do not add to the continuity of the plot. [3] It is thus a vehicle for commercial success that ensures repeat viewing. [4]
An actress, singer, or dancer, especially someone who is poised to become a star, who appears in an item number is known as an item girl (there are item boys as well). [2] However, second-generation South Asian women[ clarification needed ] are more commonly featured in item numbers than men. [5] [6]
In filmi Mumbai slang, the term item means a "sexy woman", [3] thus the original sense of "item number" is a highly sensualized song with racy, dirty imagery and suggestive lyrics. [7]
Up to the 1970s, Hindi cinema often relied on a female "vamp" character – usually playing the role of a cabaret dancer, tawaif /prostitute/courtesan, or male gangster's moll – to provide musical entertainment deemed more risqué. While film heroines also sang and danced, it was the vamp who wore more revealing clothes, smoked, drank, and sang sexually suggestive lyrics. [3] The vamp was portrayed as immodest rather than evil, and her dance performances were sexualized by male producers. The trend was started by Cuckoo in films like Awaara (1951), Aan (1952) and Shabistan (1951). [8]
Item numbers had been featured in Bollywood from as early as the 1930s. Azoorie in the 1930s often performed item numbers; Cuckoo was the next popular item dancer in the late 40s. Her banner year was 1949 when she was featured in over 17 films performing dances. Actress and classical dancer Vyjayanthimala was the one that introduced the classical dance number in Hindi films with her debut film Bahar (1951). The mixture of classical plus contemporary was popularized by Vyjayanthimala in films such as Devdas (1955), Amrapali (1966), Madhumati (1958), Sadhna (1958), Sunghursh (1968) etc.
In the early 50s, Cuckoo introduced the Anglo-Burmese Helen as a chorus girl. In time Helen would come to be the most popular vamp of the late-50s, 60s and 70s, [9] having had performed in scores of item numbers including such popular songs as "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo" from the film Howrah Bridge (1958), "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" from Caravan (1971), "Mehbooba Mehbooba" from Sholay (1975) and "Yeh Mera Dil" from Don (1978) (the song's tune was used in Don't Phunk with My Heart), "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" from Teesri Manzil and "Aa Jaane Jaan" from Intaqam. In films like Gunga Jumna and Zindagi the actress performed semi-classical Indian dances in songs like "Tora man bada paapi" and "Ghungarwa mora chham chham baaje". A desi bar number, "Mungda" from Inkaar was also immensely popular. In addition to her skillful dancing, her anglicised looks too helped further the vamp image. [10] Helen's dominance pushed other vying item number dancers like Madhumati, Bela Bose, Laxmi Chhaya, Jeevankala, Aruna Irani, Sheela R. and Sujata Bakshi into the background and less prestigious and low budget b-movies.
In the early part of the 1970s actresses Jayshree T., Bindu, Aruna Irani and Padma Khanna entered into what was Helen's monopoly. Another noted feature of this era was the "tribal and banjara" item numbers such as the one in the Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman and Rex Harrison starrer Shalimar . Such songs provided the necessary settings for the lead couple's love to bloom. [11]
Silk Smitha was part of several successful Item dance numbers in the 1980s Indian films. [12] Around the 1980s the vamp and the heroine merged into one figure and the lead actress had begun to perform the bolder numbers. The craze for "tribal and banjara" item numbers were soon gave way to slick choreography. [11] In the late 1990s, with the proliferation of film songs based television shows, film producers had come to realise that an exceptional way to entice audiences into theaters was by spending excessively on the visualization of songs. Hence regardless of the theme and plot, an elaborate song and dance routine involving spectacularly lavish sets, costumes, special effects, extras and dancers would invariably be featured in a film. It was asserted that this contributed highly to the film's "repeat value". [13]
Madhuri Dixit is often considered to be the pioneer of the modern trend. In the late 1980s, the song "Ek Do Teen" was added to the movie Tezaab as an afterthought, but it transformed Dixit and made her a superstar. [13] Her partnership with choreographer Saroj Khan has resulted in numerous hits including the controversial "Choli ke peeche kya hai" and "Dhak Dhak" ( Beta ). [14] Soon after the release of the film Khal Nayak , there were press reports stating that people were seeing the film again and again but only for the song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" that featured Dixit. [13]
Although there have been many songs that fit the descriptions of item numbers in the early and mid-1990s, the term itself was coined when Shilpa Shetty danced for "Main Aai Hoon UP Bihar Lootne" in the movie Shool . This is perhaps the first time the media actually referred to Shetty as an "item girl" and the scene as an "item number". [15]
Since 2000, many top Hindi film stars now do item numbers, and many new women entering Bollywood find item numbers a more amenable shortcut to success, as opposed to more traditional roles with no guarantee of eventual stardom.[ citation needed ] Former item girls in pop songs outside films, Rakhi Sawant and Meghna Naidu, for example, are now in demand and very popular. Today, they are even being given lead roles in movies.[ as of? ] As of 2007, Mallika Sherawat had become the most expensive item girl, charging Rs. 15 million (roughly US$375,000) for the song "Mehbooba O Mehbooba" in Aap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story .[ citation needed ] Another example is actress Urmila Matondkar, one of the most successful item girls during that time.[ original research? ] She was featured in "Chamma Chamma" in the 1998 film China Gate and "Tandoori Nights" in the 2008 film Karzzzz . Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film musical, Moulin Rouge! used a westernized version of this song.
Malaika Arora and Yana Gupta are "official" item number dancers and have said in interviews that they don't want to act in movies since they already earn more than enough money just by doing one item number as opposed to full-on roles.[ citation needed ]
Abhishek Bachchan became the first "item boy" with his performance in Rakht ; Shahrukh Khan performed an item number of sorts during the opening credits of Kaal but later had an item number in a truer sense of the word with "Dard-e-disco" in Om Shanti Om , where he was shot in a more typical "item girl" manner, with Khan wearing minimal clothing (though this number did have a connection, albeit tenuous, with the plot of the film). In Krazzy 4 , Hrithik Roshan has an item number during the end credits. Ranbir Kapoor made his debut in an item number in Chillar Party (2011); drawing inspiration from his father Rishi Kapoor's Qawwali song "Parda Hai Parda" from Amar Akbar Anthony . In 2005 and 2006 actress Bipasha Basu gave blockbuster hit numbers like No Entry and Beedi Jalaile.
In the 2007 Telugu film Desamuduru , the song "Attaantode Ittaantode" featuring Allu Arjun and Rambha became a chartbuster. In the 2007 film Om Shanti Om , the song "Deewangi Deewangi" had guest appearances by over 30 Bollywood stars. In 2008, the makers of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi featured Kajol, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Priety Zinta, and Rani Mukerji playing five leading ladies opposite Shahrukh Khan in the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte".
In 2010, Katrina Kaif featured in "Sheila Ki Jawani" from Tees Maar Khan , and Malaika Arora featured in "Munni Badnaam Hui" from Dabangg . [16] Parallels were drawn between Katrina and Malaika, as well as between the item numbers, in what was popularly known as the "Munni vs Sheila" debate. [17] [18] The songs became so popular, that, soon, more films began incorporating item numbers, and with more top stars now wanting to do them. [19]
In 2012, Katrina Kaif again featured in an item number "Chikni Chameli" sung by Shreya Ghoshal which became a huge hit. [20] In 2013, Deepika Padukone had some success item dancing, performing songs like "Party On My Mind" and "Lovely". Priyanka Chopra did many songs such as " Babli Badmaash", "Pinky", and an appearance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela song "Ram Chahe Leela", of which became a blockbuster upon release. Mahi Gill, Sonakshi Sinha, and Jacqueline Fernandez made their debut with "Don't Touch My Body", "Govinda Govinda" and "Jadu Ki Jappi" respectively.
Indian-Canadian actress Sunny Leone performed her first item dance with "Laila" from the 2013 film "Shootout at Wadala", followed up with Baby Doll from Ragini MMS 2. In 2017, Sunny Leone featured in the hit item number "Laila Main Laila" starring Shah Rukh Khan in the film Raees . It is a recreation of the song "Laila O Laila" from the 1980 film Qurbani , which featured actress Zeenat Aman with Feroz Khan in the original musical number. [21]
In 2017, Anglo-Indian actress Amanda Rosario featured in the item number "Sarkar" [22] sung by Rani Hazarika from the movie Udanchhoo .
In 2018, Pooja Hegde featured in the hit item number "Jigelu Rani" from the film Rangasthalam . [23] The song was trending on YouTube. [24] Moroccan-Canadian dancer-actress Nora Fatehi also featured in the item song "Dilbar" which has become one of the most popular Bollywood music videos of all time. [25] It is a recreation of an item number of the same name from Sirf Tum (1999), which was composed by Nadeem–Shravan and featured Sushmita Sen as an item girl. The re-created version by Tanishk Bagchi features Middle-Eastern musical sounds. [26] In the music video, Nora Fatehi performs belly dancing, an Arabic dance style that was previously featured in a number of popular Bollywood item numbers, performed by actresses such as Helen in "Mehbooba O Mehbooba" from Sholay (1975), Zeenat Aman in "Raqqasa Mera Naam" from The Great Gambler (1979), Mallika Sherawat in "Mayya Mayya" from Guru (2007), and Rani Mukerji in "Aga Bai" from Aiyyaa (2012). [27] The international success of "Dilbar" inspired an Arabic-language version, also featuring Nora Fatehi. "Dilbar" is popular across Southern Asia and the Arab world, with all versions of the song having received more than 1 billion views on YouTube. [28]
TV and Bollywood Actress Mouni Roy made her debut by "Nachna Aunda Nahi". The "Gali Gali" track from the Kannada film K.G.F: Chapter 1, sung by Neha Kakkar, which featured Mouni Roy also, was a huge hit.
In 2022, the "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava" track sung by Indravathi Chauhan from the Telugu language film Pushpa: The Rise , which featured Samantha Ruth Prabhu, was a huge nationwide hit, despite the song being dubbed in all languages including Tamil, Hindi , Malayalam and Kannada .
On 21 July 2005, Indian parliament passed a bill to ban dance bars in Maharashtra. Criticizing the bill and supporting the dancers, Flavia Agnes said that bar dancing cannot be termed as vulgar, what they are doing is an imitation of what item girls are doing in films, they work there out of their own choice. [29]
As one writer put it, "On paper, item numbers form the perfect formula for female sexual empowerment. In reality, they mostly result in the most blatant objectification. Camera angles zoom in over gyrating hips and linger over bare waists as blatantly as the eyes of the ogling men with no subtlety. The gaze in these dance numbers presents itself as vaguely voyeuristic, at best. There is a very deliberate implication present; that the item girl is not only inviting the leers and jeers, but she is also enjoying them." [30]
In 2013, the Central Board of Film Certification issued a resolution declaring that item songs will now be rated as adult content and will not be allowed to be shown on television channels. [31]
Madhuri Dixit Nene is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. A leading actress of Indian cinema, she has appeared in over 70 films. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and characters, Dixit was credited for singularly paralleling her male contemporaries and leading star vehicles in a male-dominated industry. She was among the country's highest-paid celebrities throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since its inception in 2012. Her accolades include six Filmfare Awards from a record 17 nominations. In 2008, the Government of India awarded her with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country.
Helen Ann Richardson Khan, known mononymously as Helen, is an Indian actress and dancer. She has appeared in over 1000 films, making her a prolific performer in Hindi cinema. She is known for her supporting, character roles and guest appearances in a career spanning seventy years.
Malaika Arora is an Indian actress, dancer, model, VJ and a television personality who appears in Hindi-language films. She made her debut as a film producer in 2008, with her former husband Arbaaz Khan, founding the company Arbaaz Khan Productions, which created the Dabangg film series. As an actress, she has starred as a lead in films like Kaante (2002) and EMI (2008). She also performed in the songs Chaiyya Chaiyya (1998), Gur Naalo Ishq Mitha (1998), Maahi Ve (2002), Kaal Dhamaal (2005) and Munni Badnaam Hui (2010).
Bindu Nanubhai Desai, better known mononymously as Bindu, is a former Indian actress who was popular in the 1970s. She has acted in over 160 movies in a career that spanned four decades, receiving seven Filmfare award nominations. She is most remembered for her role as Shabnam in Kati Patang (1970) and for her films opposite Prem Chopra.
Yaadon Ki Baaraat is a 1973 Indian Hindi-language masala film, directed by Nasir Hussain and written by Salim–Javed. It featured an ensemble cast, starring Dharmendra, Vijay Arora, Tariq, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh and Ajit.
Saroj Khan was an Indian dance choreographer in Hindi cinema. She was born in Bombay State, India. She was best known for the dance form mujra and the first woman choreographer in Bollywood. With a career spanning over forty years, she choreographed more than 3000 songs. She died on 3 July 2020 of a sudden cardiac arrest.
Surveen Chawla is an Indian actress and dancer who appears in Hindi films and television. She started her career with television shows like Kahin to Hoga and Kajjal. She is known for her roles in movies and shows like Hate Story 2 (2014), Ugly (2013), Parched (2015) and 24 (2016) etc. along with many others films. In 2018, she was seen in the Hindi web series, Haq Se.
Kalpana Iyer is an Indian former actress, singer, and model, who is best known for her works in Hindi cinema throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She appeared in over 100 films, and is accredited for her performances in many popular dance numbers as well as for her supporting and guest roles in many films.
Sowmya Raoh is an Indian playback singer who has performed in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu languages.
Mahek Chahal is a Norwegian actress and model who works in Hindi films and television. She began her acting career in 2002 with Telugu film Neetho and later made her Hindi debut with Nayee Padosan in 2003. She was also seen in several songs appearances for Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi and Tamil films. In 2011, Chahal participated in Colors TV reality show Bigg Boss 5 and emerged as the runner-up.
Zareen Khan, also known as Zarine Khan, is an Indian actress and model. Mainly working in the Hindi film industry, she has also appeared in Punjabi, Telugu and Tamil films.
"Aap Jaisa Koi" is a song from the soundtrack of the 1980 Bollywood film Qurbani. It was the debut song of Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan, and was composed by British Indian producer Biddu. The song was featured in the film as an item number, picturised on Zeenat Aman. It has been remixed and sampled by many other artists.
"Piya Tu Ab To Aja" is a song from the 1971 Hindi film Caravan. It is considered the quintessential cabaret item number by Helen. The song was sung by Asha Bhosle and R.D. Burman. It was composed by R.D. Burman with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Music scholar Nilanjana Bhattacharjya identified "Piya Tu Ab To Aja" as one of the culturally important Hindi film songs. The song has also been called "the catalyst" that made "Asha [Bhosle] the queen of cabaret numbers".
"Sheila Ki Jawani" is an Indian Hindi-language song sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Vishal Dadlani featuring Katrina Kaif along with Akshay Kumar in the 2010 Bollywood film Tees Maar Khan. The music is composed by composer duo Vishal–Shekhar and the lyrics are penned by Dadlani. The moves were choreographed by choreographer-director Farah Khan, who went on to win the Filmfare award for best choreography for the movie.
"Munni Badnaam Hui" is a song from the 2010 Bollywood film Dabangg featuring Malaika Arora Khan along with Sonu Sood and Salman Khan. The song is sung by Mamta Sharma and Aishwarya Nigam, with music by Lalit Pandit. Mamta Sharma won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for this song, while Sajid-Wajid and Lalit Pandit won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director in the 56th Filmfare Awards 2011.
Nora Fatehi is a Canadian actress, model, dancer, singer, and producer who is predominantly known for her work in the Indian film industry. She has appeared in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films.
Life Mein Twist Hai is a 2014 Hindi language Indian directed by Dinesh Soni. The film stars Sahil Akhtar, Michelle Shah and Arshi Suryavanshi. It was released on 12 December 2014.
The soundtrack is from the film Raees, starring Shah Rukh Khan, was released on 21 December 2016 by the music label Zee Music Company. The songs released on the original soundtrack are listed below. As of December 2020, the soundtrack has received more than 1.5 billion streams on YouTube.
"Dilbar" is a Bollywood song, originally released as part of the soundtrack for the 1999 Indian film Sirf Tum. The songs was originally composed by Nadeem-Shravan and sung by Alka Yagnik, with lyrics by Sameer. The song's original music video features Sushmita Sen and Sanjay Kapoor. The Sirf Tum soundtrack album sold 2.2 million units, and was the ninth best-selling Bollywood music album of 1999.
Dabangg (transl. Fearless) is the soundtrack to the 2010 film of the same name. Directed by Abhinav Singh Kashyap, the film is produced by Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan under Arbaaz Khan Productions, with Dhilin Mehta serving as the co-producer and distributor of the film under Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision banner. Khan's elder brother Salman Khan starred in the lead role, with Sonakshi Sinha as the female lead, Sonu Sood playing the antagonist and himself featuring in a supporting role.
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