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31 December 2013

My Favourites: Well-Choreographed Foot-Tapping Dance Numbers


And so, another year has passed, with its complement of joys and sorrows, highs and lows. Some more ties have been snapped, some more losses have been endured, some more tears have been cried as we bid adieu to those whom we felt we 'knew', who have touched us in immeasurable ways through their art and their craft and their larger-than-life images on screen. It is all that is left of them, these colourful moving images, freezing them forever in some timewarp that ensures we only remember them as they used to be - young, beautiful, alive...

But life goes on, and every New Year's Eve is a time to bid farewell to the detritus of the year past, and to look forward to the hopes of a new beginning. Last year, I looked ahead and did a post on Songs of celebration. This year, I was going to end the year with the aptly named 'Songs of Farewell'. I even looked through my list of songs and began writing the post. Then I realised that not only were half the songs rona-dhona ones, but my introduction to the post was also sad and plaintive. Ugh. No. 

We have had a sad couple of years, and ties with the sort of films I usually write about have loosened with the end of every chapter. Yes, it is sad. More so for people like me who live cinema - each tie undone is one more link that is broken. (And just when I was writing this post on the 28th, came the news that Farooque Shaikh passed away. He was 65.)

That said, jeena yahan marna yahan, iske siva jaana kahan?  The show must go on; it will go on. So I scrapped that post; well, not really. I just left it for another day, a day when I am in one of my sad moods, when nothing but the most plaintive songs will do justice to the way I feel. Right now, the need of the hour was celebration, happiness, and hope.

And I wrote another post. For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice...

While I do occasionally review newer films, especially when I'm writing about regional or international cinema, my song lists are typically restricted to the golden era of Hindi film music - the decades from the 40s through the 60s. But when it comes to dances, I need to make an exception. For one, I have done not one, but two posts on Helen and her dances. Secondly, other than the occasional dances (in Hindi films) by Sai and Subbulakshmi, the usual suspects were Vyjayanthimala, Padmini and Ragini, followed by Waheeda Rehman. Thirdly, 'group' dances as a whole were not wildly popular; so while you had an occasional Nain lad gay re from Naya Daur,  a Thaiyya re thaiyya re chhad gaya paapi bichua from Madhumati, or a Kya hua ye mujhe kya hua from Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, most real dances were solo efforts. 

Since it is the end of the year, I was looking for the more foot-tapping variety of dance numbers, songs that make you feel, even if you have several left feet, that you just must get up and shake a leg. Perhaps the practice of inserting songs willy-nilly into a film whether the narrative demands it or not has increased my chances of finding such numbers in the more recent films. 

Certainly, I have appreciated some of the newer songs because I'm no dancer. So I often look in awe at some of the really good dancers on screen today - Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai... (Can't think of another contemporary actress who can dance really, really well, actually.) 

Then there are the competent dancers, the ones who can manage their steps with a lot of rehearsals and have the natural grace to carry it off with panache - that includes three of the four Khans - Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Saif, and Rani Mukherjee, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, et al. If I have to watch a gratuitous song and dance number, then I would certainly like it to be choreographed well; and danced even better.

My only criteria for choosing this list was:
a) The songs must have a beat that makes you want to get up and dance.
b) They must have reasonably decent lyrics - which automatically disqualifies One two three four get on the dance floor, however foot-tapping you may find it, because any song that has lyrics such as 'Booty shake booty shake Thappan koothu hard core' is not a song, in my humble opinion.
c) The dances, such as they are, must go beyond the typical PT exercises that were the bane of the 80s, for instance. That was one decade when Hindi cinema had hit its nadir. Or, with a nod to Nidhu Kapoor, my Punjabi colleague, I want grace, not just enthusiasm. 

There is a story behind that nod.

Back in the dark ages when I was working for a newspaper, a couple of us were shocked that Nidhu had never seen a single Sridevi film. We waxed eloquently about Sri's talent and grace, and dragged Nidhu off to watch the premiere of Heer Ranjha, to which we, as journalists, had free tickets. Let down big time by the direction, the film was no great shakes despite towering performances from Sridevi and Anil Kapoor - but Nidhu fell utterly and completely in love with Sridevi. And as we were watching one of the dances, Nidhu commented that Sri was awesome, but Anil Kapoor was 'typical Punju, all enthu, no grace!' We burst out laughing, and every time we see a hero unable to keep up with his more nimble-footed heroine, that statement is taken out of the archives and aired. 

So keeping my own peculiar (and subjective) criteria in mind, here, in no particular order, for your viewing (and listening) pleasure, are my selections for a happy and celebratory New Year's Eve. Please note that none of these are your typical 'item' songs.

1. Doli tharo dhol baaje (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) (1999) Kavita Krishnamoorthy - Vinod Rathod - Karsan Sargathia
Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bansali
Music: Ismail Darbar
Choreographed by: Vaibhavi Merchant
 
Easily contemporary Hindi cinema's most graceful dancer, Aishwarya Rai has never been photographed so well as she was in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Sanjay Leela Bansali's epic ode to love and loss saw the background shift to the hitherto unseen vistas of Gujarat/Rajasthan. As is typical with the filmmaker, everything was on an operatic scale - the colours, the emotions, the song picturisations. And in Dholi taaro, he banked heavily on folk dances and came up trumps. It helped that Aishwarya was the female dancer; and Salman Khan, not quite known for his dancing prowess, proved that he could more than match steps with his nimble co-star if he chose to work hard - and obviously, he did. Vaibhavi Merchant won a well-deserved National Award for its choreography. It was her first solo effort.

2. Que sera sera  (Pukar) (2000) Shankar Mahadevan - Kavita Krishnamoorthy - Suvarnalata
Directed by: Rajkumar Santoshi
Music: AR Rehman
Choreographed by: Prabhu Deva
Just when every dance was beginning to look like every other dance, along came Prabhu Deva and his astonishingly fluid moves. Dancing alongside was Madhuri Dixit, a dancer with grace and oomph, and someone who had mastered the art of the 'item' dance in every film she was heroine. Even so, she confessed that she still needed rehearsals before she felt confident enough to dance with Prabhu Deva. Between the two of them, they took a routine song-and-dance number to a completely different level. Que sera sera was reworked from its original Kaadhal nayagara  from En Swaasa Kaatre. I must confess that this is one time when I preferred the copied version - both the song, and the choreography. 

3. Señorita (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) (2011) Farhan Akhthar - Abhay Deol - Hrithik Roshan - María del Mar Fernández
Directed by: Zoya Akhthar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Choreographed by: Bosco- Caesar
 
Based on traditional Flamenco rhythms, the song was unique in that it was actually sung by the three protagonists, and not just on screen. This was the only song in the film that was lip-synced on screen and the director and music directors were adamant that it be sung by the actors themselves. Thoroughly Spanish in its melody and mood, the presence of a genuine Flamenco artiste (María del Mar Fernández) gave it a verisimilitude that added to the atmosphere. The dance moves were exuberant, passionate and very free-flowing, and the actors looked like they were enjoying every bit on screen. Choreographers Bosco and Caesar won the National Award for choreography for this song. 

4. Radha kaise na jale (Lagaan) (2001) Asha Bhosle - Udit Narayan - Vaishali Samant
Directed by: Ashutosh Gowarikar
Music: AR Rehman
Choreographed by: Saroj Khan
Now, this one is very, very different from the songs that have gone before. For one, this is a very traditional song-and-dance number, and while Dholi taaro was also based on the garba, it had a beat that drove you to step on the dance floor. Radha kaise na jale is a very mellow number, though remarkably choreographed. Aamir Khan is graceful as he usually is, but Gracy Singh was quite the revelation. Lagaan was a film which incorporated its songs intelligently into its narrative and  Radha kaise na jale was no exception.

5.  Dola re dola (Devdas) (2002) Kavita Krishnamoorthy - Shreya Ghoshal - KK
Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bansali
Music: Ismail Darbar
Choreographed by: Saroj Khan
Another 'traditional' song, and as was Sanjay Leela Bansali's wont, very opulently shot. Never mind that he played ducks and drakes with the Sarat Chandra Chatterjee novel, and had Parvati and Chandramukhi not just meet, but dance together. Accept that this is his  adaptation of the novel, and forget how melodramatic, over-the-top and ostentatious (and unbearable) the film was - just enjoy the sight of two of contemporary Hindi cinema's most accomplished dancers dancing up a storm. Beautifully choreographed by Saroj Khan who must have been glad to work with actresses who made everything look so easy, Dola re dola  won her a very well-deserved National Award for Best Choreography.

6. Koi ladki hai (Dil Toh Pagal Hain) (1997) Udit Narayan - Lata Mangeshkar
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music: Uttam Singh
Choreographed by: Shiamak Davar
 
Just before Prabhu Deva came along to show Hindi audiences what they were missing, Shiamak Davar changed the way dance sequences in Hindi films were perceived in his first outing as a film choreographer. Of course, once he introduced it, we saw many variations on a similar theme. But at this point in time, the dances were fresh, they were new, they were different. With his own dance studios, Davar used many of his students as the back-up dancers in his choreography, giving a sleeker 'look' to the sequences. And of course, he won a National Award for his choreography in this film. 

7. Main aisa kyun hoon (Lakshya) (2004) Shaan
Directed by: Farhan Akhthar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Choreographed by: Prabhu Deva
This list is populated by the usual suspects, both choreographers and actors. This was the Prabhu Deva - Hrithik Roshan combination, and a deadly one at that. Alone, they are at the top of their field. Together, they were devastating. The sequence, picturised as a surreal experience of a boy/man finding himself, was an experimental number that succeeded very well. The only brief given to Prabhu Deva was that the moves had to challenge Hrithik Roshan. Prabhu Deva delivered, and how! It is a triumph of a dancer's art when he/she can go over and beyond what is expected of him/her. Hrithik can truly count this amongst his best dance numbers and that is saying a lot. For a man who is so heavily muscled, it is amazing how loose jointed Hrithik is, and how easy he makes itall seem. (The only part that psyched me out in this film was how much he resembled his father in the early scenes!) This won Prabhu Deva his second National Award for Best Choreographer.

You can watch Prabhu Deva dance to the song here. 

8. Badi mushkil (Lajja) (2001) Alka Yagnik
Directed by: Rajkumar Santoshi
Music: Anu Malik
Choreographed by: Ganesh Acharya
This is the type of song that Madhuri Dixit excelled in throughout her career - an 'item' song that is inserted into the film just to capitalise on her dancing ability, which was indeed exceptional. With a director like Rajkumar Santoshi, the insertion is not quite as gratuitous as it usually is, and Madhuri has the talent, the grace and the screen presence to make the viewing experience a thoroughly enjoyable one. Manisha Koirala tries gamely to match steps but she is not a patch on her senior. What made this song different from the usual dhak-dhaks that were Madhuri's lot was that the choreography was way superior to the usual booty-shaking that passes off for 'dance' in a Hindi film. On the whole, the performance (for that is what it is) goes well with Madhuri's free-spirited and strong-willed character in Lajja.
 
9. Kajra re (Bunty aur Babli) (2005) Alisha Chinoy - Shankar Mahadevan - Javed Ali
Directed by: Shaad Ali
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Choreographed by: Vaibhavi Merchant
 
Now, this is an item song. A very well-picturised one, in fact. Bringing a new twist to the qawwalis of old, the music directors and Gulzar, the lyricist, added elements of a mujra, disco and folk. This was one item song where the actress was very simply made-up - lightly kohl-ed eyes and lip gloss - relying only on her expressions and the hotness-quotient of her costume and moves to make a point. (It needed an Aishwarya Rai to carry it off without looking vulgar.) Complementing her grace were the two Bachchans, the senior who rocked his trademark moves with sophistication, and Junior B, who played the bumbling younger man with perfect comic timing and elan. It was a rocking performance and sky-rocketed the song to almost cult status.

10. You are my soniya (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham) (2001) Sonu Nigam - Alka Yagnik
Directed by: Karan Johar
Music: Sandesh Shandilya
Choreographed by: Farah Khan
Yes, Hrithik again. But there is no getting away from the fact that he has some incredible dances picturised on him, and as most choreographers admit, he makes their steps look better on screen than when they show it to him. It also shows the paucity of good female dancers because it is pretty obvious that Kareena is nowhere close to matching steps with him though she tries gamely enough. I dithered between You are my soniya and Say Shava Shava from this film, because both songs were exquisitely choreographed; besides the latter song has Amitabh Bachchan. But I must admit that You are my soniya has a definite edge to it, and Hrithik is the reason it rocks. (Of course, you need to suspend disbelief that a nightclub in London is going to have someone sing and dance to a Hindi song, and you will do fine.

Do keep in mind that I'm not endorsing any of these films though I have watched all of them. What can I say? I'm a film junkie. The songs, though, are a different matter altogether. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of them.  It is no coincidence that there are three songs each featuring Aishwarya and Hrithik, and four featuring Madhuri Dixit. They are definitely the best dancers the contemporary film scene has seen. 

It is unfortunate that Sridevi came along when dances were more like aerobics classes, and there were as many pots as supporting dancers on screen. She is a fantastic dancer and could have given both Aishwarya and Madhuri a run for their money. It is the same with Akshay Kumar, who is a dancer I have always loved to watch on screen. But he too came along when dance choreography followed the same old tired steps. He was far more graceful than many of his contemporaries (witness Raveena Tandon in Tu cheez badi hai mast mast - I rest my case!) and made the steps look easier than they were, but the whole was not very appealing. 

In any case, this is my small contribution to ending the year with a bang. So, hold those who have left us in your thoughts, hope for a better year ahead, put on your dancing shoes and groove (even if you are only going to sit at home). But tell me, what songs would you add to this list?

To all my readers, a very Happy New Year, with my wishes for everything good - a new chance to start over, to make our own happiness, and to forge new paths. Quoting Alfred, Lord Tennyson,
“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...”

43 comments:

  1. Anu, happy New Year! May this coming year be a lovely one, safe, healthy, and happy for you and yours. :-)

    And now, about your post. Guess what? For once, we don't agree that much. While I don't mind most of the songs you've listed, the only one I really love, and which has actually been known to make me get up and start dancing in a bhari mehfil (yes, very hard to do! - at my husband's cousin's sangeet) was Senorita. Such a peppy number, I love it. Doli taaro is nice too, but not quite so much.

    Here are two others that I like a good bit. Since I'm burdened with two left feet and can't really say anything about whether or not these are well-choreographed, I leave that decision to you.

    Gori gori from Main Hoon Na:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ejCGYm_TfY

    And, from Dil Chahta Hai, Koi kahe kehta rahe:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD1oKtvITrE

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  2. Excellent choices. Except for Seniorita, somehow I never took to that song.

    Let us drool once more Hritik.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox-0TtPedtk

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  3. And this one. When this track was very popular, I remember asking the music shop fellow 'O O Jane jana, ek cassette de do' HE HE

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_elT6zkqN0

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  4. Madhu has already listed my fave Aamir number. Here is my fave Shahrukh number. When he chose to sizzle with Sush.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXb_XPXA2zw

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  5. Heh, Madhu, I have two left feet too.:) Both the songs you listed were on my shortlist, and especially with Koi kahe kehta rahe, I regretted not having put it in after I published the post. Ah, well.... I'm glad you posted it in the comments.

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  6. Thanks, Ava. I'm grinning here because the first comment was by Dustedoff, who liked onlySeñorita from my list; and then you come along and you like everything else, but that song! *grin*



    Yes, do let's drool over some more Hrithik. :) :) That chap has rubber bands where his joints should be!

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  7. Ooh, yes, I forgot about this, and I do have a soft spot for Salman! Thanks, Ava. Yes, it was very popular then, wasn't it?

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  8. I much preferred Gori gori gori gori from this film; I thought this was rather predictable in its steps. The choreography was nothing to write home about. But yes, if I only hear the song, it is a very peppy one.

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  9. Anu,
    Just the right post for the new year spirit.great job.
    All songs are treat for both eyes and ears.
    Here is one dance number,
    We cannot compare Urmila's dancing to Madhri or Aishwariya but she has done a good job, song is foot taping and the choreography is good too. ( not outstanding though)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqWNu8axrb8&feature=player_detailpage

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  10. Thank you, Ashraf.
    Actually, Chamma chamma was on my long list. Urmila is a competent dancer, but as you said, this was not a very great dance number. Had the same tired steps. But I agree that it is a nice foot-tapping number.

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  11. Happy New Year Anu, may God bless you and your family with a wonderful 2014. There is a song that I really like, it could easily have been a dance sequence, it has all the elements, so although it does not fit into your post,. I am giving a link to the song. I love the music,the picturisation, the way Shreya Ghosal sings, the lyrics and Kareena Kappor's uninhibited performance. Considering it is one of those rare moments in Bombay when the weather is pleasantly cool, I feel like singing the song myself, that is is mausam mein jeene ka mazaa aane lagaa hai

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUILNnn5stc

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  12. Have a great 2014, Anu. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSpot2bArRA) - here is one to your list, Chumma :)

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  13. I agree with your summation, Shilpi. Close my eyes, and this could definitely have been a dance number. Lovely little film too. This was one of the few films that I really really liked Kareena.

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  14. Thanks, Boby, to you too. And this one was definitely on my longlist for this post. :) :) (Amitabh, how could I not have it?)

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  15. Happy New Year, Anu and family! What a great post to start off the new year with - music and movement!:-) I love your picks and offer one more - Nagada, nagada from Jab we Met. Such happy people! :-)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl-if7RmEcs

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  16. Thank you, Shalini. And I'm glad you liked the selections.

    Yes, lots and lots of happy people! As I was telling Shilpi, this was one film in which I really really liked Kareena, and I do have a soft spot for Shahid as well. He is such a fantastic dancer, isn't he? Did you know he was one of Shiamak Davar's students? You can see him among the back-up dancers in Taal.

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  17. Can't have foot tapping numbers and no Illayaraja..


    .and Rajnikanth (ve are like that wonly)
    This one is musically quite interesting even the dance at end more like the steps of a slow Malayalee kaikottikali set to a faster beat. Of course copied by Anand Milind into Hindi more mundane arrangement .. no gypsy violins playing tremolo...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAE1Ysx-VGU




    And when it comes to dance who can do better than Kamalahasan. Wonly 4 Kamalahasans..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mn8iTYT4wM

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  18. Happy New Year to you and yours, Subodh. I agree with you about watching new songs - there is much to like, even if, like you, my choice of songs to listen to are those until the 60s, and sometimes into the 70s.

    I'm sorry about my filters, but keep in mind, that that criteria cost me Hawa Hawaai. :) I had not heard (or seen) the song from Rajneeti before. It is very interesting.

    I had thought of Dhol bajne laga but that is not a dance number. So I let it be. Like Shilpi's contibution from Jab We Met it is a foot-tapping number when you listen to it.

    And oh, I'm so glad you added Woh ladki hai kahan - yes, it is perfect. Thank you. :)

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  19. Ha! Thanks for the links. :) It is very catchy. I purposely did not go into Tamil because they have so many songs that would fit into this theme. Rakamma kaiyye thattu was beautifully choreographed (and Thalaiva did a good job), but I like Per vachalum vaikama better. Kamal Hassan is absolutely fascinating to watch, and Khushboo matches him step for step. That song is one of my favourites.

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  20. I am glad you liked the links. How about doing a couple of posts on post 1980 songs? I think one should be enough to cover 1980 to 1999 and another one from 2000 onwards.

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  21. Okay, the dancing here may not be totally blow-your-socks-off good, but it's not bad, and this song always makes me want to get up and start dancing. (And, will I get brownie points because it's got Amitabh in it? ;-))

    Banda yeh bindaas hai from Aks.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA50xHmmD0A

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  22. Hmm, that's an idea. 'Best of' or 'Most Melodious' or... I will have to think about how to frame a theme to fit the post. It will be an interesting exercise, Subodh. Because writing posts on the songs from the golden era is relatively easy - you are spoilt for choice. You are putting me to work. :) :)

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  23. I had forgotten about the song completely, Madhu, though Aks was an interesting film, though slightly flawed in its execution. Have you seen it?



    What is interesting about the song is its context - the song is obviously picturised in a nightclub of sorts. But the song itself has the sort of tapori steps and the 'set' is supposed to be the roadside.



    Lots of brownie points for adding an Amitabh song. :) :)

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  24. Let us have one more of Madhuri Saroj Khan treat.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_jyAJX3ZU&feature=player_detailpage

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  25. I must confess that I was not a great fan of Saroj Khan's chorepgraphy in those years. She had patented the booty-shaking that I spoke of in the post, and everyone who danced to her steps were beginning to look like her. So Sridevi resembled Saroj Khan, and Madhuri resembled Sridevi and so on. In fact, I much preferred her dance number in Jamai Raja - Tere pyar mein hum...

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  26. No, I haven't seen Aks, Anu - though now that you say it was interesting, I will look out for it!

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  27. I agree with you.
    That's why I did not like her song from Beta (dhak dhak karne laga)

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  28. Oh, do. I would be very interested in what you think of it. It is a genre that is very rarely explored in our films, and it was rather interesting. One of Amitabh's finest (and very unusual) performances, and Manoj Bajpai and Raveena Tandon were damn good too. A few minor quibbles, of course, but for a debut director, I think it was a damn fine job.

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  29. :) Neither did I. I found it rather vulgar, and that was a shame, because Madhuri was such a good dancer.

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  30. Hey Anu, Big fan of your blog...Just love it. I have always been a big fan of the old movies...n by old i dont meam Rajesh Khanna. K.L Saigal n Motilal movies are old for me. Thanks a ton for writig so much about them
    About this article. Again loved it. And while I completely agree to disagree with your opinions, I hate Aishwarya Rai as a dancer. She practices and makes the screen look beautiful, no doubts there...but i she dances in angles.She lacks the grace and fluidity like Madhuri and obviously Sri. I think there are many more who agree with me coz there is no aishawarya song in the comments below :)
    Thanks again for writing about the old people (and my places of worships) though :) :)

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  31. Thank you, Saee. It is nice to hear that from my readers, it encourages me to keep going.

    Oh, I'm perfectly agreeable to disagreeing on Aishwarya. My blog was never meant to be 'These are my views, and only people who agree with me need to comment'. :) I stand by my opinion of Aishwarya, though. As for others agreeing with you because there is no Aishwarya song in the comments, there aren't any Sridevi songs either. :) And the only Madhuri song that Ashraf put up, both he and I agree that Saroj Khan did Madhuri no favours by making her thrust out her bosom and hips. She deserved far more, in my opinion.

    On 'old' movies, I once had a young thing tell me, when English Vinglish was released that she loved 'old' actresses like Sridevi. Gulp!

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  32. I find Amitabh's songs, specially at his peak (like 'sara zamaana, haseenon ka deewana') more foot tapping than these Hrithik songs. :-)
    I like most of these choices though specially the ones in the films of Bhansali. I very much like the songs in his movies except the recent one, but he doesn't have a single original movie in his filmography, Rakesh Roshan is another director whose movies are barely original. I don't know how they get away with it, but I find the much maligned Bhatt's better than them as far as originality is concerned (its unbelievable but true).
    Anyway, It was in Devdas that I really liked Madhuri Dixit's songs for the first time. IMO, here earlier famous songs by the legendary L-P (ek do teen, etc.) are bad songs.
    Why has no one mentioned GOVINDA at all? He could do all that Hrithik has done in those songs without a choreographer, lol.

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  33. I like this only for AMITABH, otherwise, its a really bad song musically , by L-P (Laxmikant Pyarelal) again!

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  34. Oh, I agree with you about Amitabh's songs being foot-tapping (well, some of them), but let's face it, Amitabh couldn't dance for toffee. : ) I did say 'well-choreographed dances0. *grin*

    I think Govinda is great dancer, and an excellent actor - I wish he had had the backing when he came in. The man has excellent comic timing, and what's more, there was a film called Awaargi where he did a fantastic job.

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  35. Of course it is, no doubt about it. :) But it was beautifully choreographed, and I actually saw Amitabh dance for a change. :)

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  36. Do 'Baar baar dekho ' from Chinatown and "Eena meena deeka' from Aasha pass through your filter criteria ?

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  37. Baar baar dekho is not a dance at all, is it? And Eena meena deeka is not choreographed very well (in my opinion, of course); it has Kishore clowning around as usual; actually, it is more a stage show than an actual dance, isn't it?

    (As I said before, my filters seem to make sense only to me. *grin*)

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  38. There is also a Vyjayanthi version of Eena Meena Deeka
    .
    As an alternate I offer you some more songs
    - Jaan pehchan ho jeena aasan ho ( from Gumnaam(
    - Title song of Chhoti si mulaqat
    - Hamma hamma from Bombay
    The video/audio of the Gumnaam song was used in the opening scene of the Hollywood movie Ghost World ( 2005).

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  39. Koi kahe kehta rahe from Dil Chahta hai is also a good one.
    Some great songs in this movie

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  40. Humma humma is well-choreographed, yes. But it was a dance song that mingled scenes, and didn't fit in with my theme.

    Jaan pehchaan ho is well-choreographed, yes. But I was trying not to use club songs.

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  41. Dil Chahta Hai was a good movie as well. But Koi kahe was like any other disco song. It reminded me of our PT exercises in school. Well-danced, no doubt, but there was nothing new about the choreography.

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  42. 'Meri umar ke ' from Karz was another good one. Rishi Kapoor was probably a better
    dancer amongst the actors of his generation

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  43. Rishi dances well. I am not too fond of the disco moves, though Meri umar ke is a song I really, really like. Karz had decent songs.

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