Dance Pe Chance Marle!

While there has been a shift in recent years towards music being the foundation to build a story on, Bollywood still has those masala movies with dance sequences popping out of nowhere. Even the super serious movies, those independent films that are more character oriented than the usual Bollywood fare, tend to have almost one item type number. Dance pe chance toh maarna padta hai, yaar, yeh to Bollywood hai!

And of course, we have noticed that certain song and dance routines seem to become almost a given, and without which the movie seems incomplete. These are those numbers that, at one point, could be found in almost every movie coming from the Bollywood industry.

Commonly referred to as the former, Bollywood has had a love affair with song and dance numbers amongst the clouds and the snow, in the picturesque Bernese Alps since the 1980s. Featured in hits like Chandni (1989) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1994), these sequences can range from the couple actually traveling to the country in the story or simply exiting their home in India and magically winding up in snowy Switzerland. And sometimes the outings were so sudden, that by the time you noticed the translucent chiffon and out of the blue bonfires, the songs would end and our couples would be engaged in the melodrama that Bollywood excels in. But travel plans aside, these songs did their work for the box office collections. Once upon a time, no Bollywood movie was complete without such a number.

Then we have the action and explosive dance numbers which usher in the hero of the film. These may have similarities across the board, but are by and large dependent on the hero's dance capabilities. Hrithik Roshan or Shahid Kapoor, for example, can carry out a more enthusiastic and elaborate production than say, Salman Khan, who is more quirky and relaxed. However, these numbers are choreographed to highlight the personality of our heroes - their strength and their nature. A recent example of this would be Ajay Devgn in the 2012 film Son of Sardaar, where an apt mixture of machoness and cuteness introduced the character to a T!

On the other hand, our heroine's are given sweeter and more romantic numbers in which they introduce themselves to the audience. These numbers are often about falling in love, leaving home to experience life to the fullest and are set to express the bubbly and happy nature of the leading lady. "Silsila Yeh Chaahat Ka" from Devdas (2002), chock full of awaiting love and romantic fantasies, is one of the best examples of such an entry. It is the epitome of grace, and sets up the stage for both the character and the love story. Whereas "Chale Jaise Hawayein" from Main Hoon Naa (2004) highlights the free spirited nature of the heroine.

Writer: Aradhna K.

Editor(s): Nabila S. and Gunia K.

Graphics: Marsh P.

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