Explore the dancing tradition of Bollywood with Thumkas and Jhatkas

Over the course of its 110-year existence, dance numbers have become an essential feature of Indian films, establishing their own distinct identity. Examples of such dance numbers include Piya Tose Naina Lage Re, Hothon Mein Aisi Baat, Jai Ho, and Natu Natu, which was included at the 2017 Oscars ceremony. According to film historians, females in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1990s were required to be skilled dancers.Recently, on Dance Deewane, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Karisma Kapoor reprised their famous vengeance dance from Dil To Pagal Hai. The video quickly gained popularity. OBSESSED with dance sequences, Indian moviegoers often find themselves dancing in the aisles throughout several showings.

 

Though the storyline may seem like something from a Bollywood film, in actuality, a fan felt “deceived and cheated” and went so far as to sue the filmmakers to court after they removed Shah Rukh Khan’s Jabra song from the movie Fan. Bollywood dance is a genre unto itself, including jazz, funk, hip-hop, and many more styles. Not only are there Indian fans, but there are dance schools in places like New York that teach Bollywood dances! Choreographers discuss their favorite movie dance scenes on International Dance Day.

Vaibhavi Merchant said that the snake dance sequences in Guide and Piya tose naina laage were breathtaking.

In terms of choreography The snake dance scene in Guide and Piya Tose Naina Laage were both quite impressive. The choreography director, B Hiralal ji, is also my maternal grandpa. When his body of work and all the amazing choreographies he created became apparent to me, I was seventeen. Additionally, he choreographed Kannum Kannum Kalanthu from Vanjikottai Valiban (1958) and Aplam Chaplam (Azaad 1955).

There are famous artists and songs in Indian cinema: Merchant Vaibhavi
Indian cinema boasts legendary songs and performers like Asha Parekh, Helen, Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Kamal Hassan, Reena Roy, Govinda, and many more. These dance enthusiasts have gifted us with some amazing dance numbers that have become iconic not only for their respective eras but sometimes for all time. Some of the modern dancers who make an impression include Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Ranveer Singh. They also do amazing dance moves in catchy tunes.

Vaibhavi’s best selections
1) “Aplam Chaplam” from the 1955 film Azaad
2) From the 1958 film Vanjikottai Valiban, Kannum Kannum Kalanthu
3) The snake dance and Piya tose Naina laagere from the 1965 movie Guide
4) Jewel Thief’s Hothon pe aisi baat (1967)
5) Ek do teen, from the 1988 film Tezaab
6. “Mere Haathon mein nau chudiyan”—from the 1989 motion picture Chandni
7) “Dola re Dola,” from the 2002 movie Devdas
8) “Main aisa kyun hoon” from the 2004 film Lakshya
9) Bole Choodiyan, from the 2001 movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
10) Kajra reprised from the 2005 movie Bunty aur Babli
11) Natu Natu, from the 2022 movie RRR
I would hold Sanjay Leela Bhansali in high regard as a choreographer for his ability to create classic songs and keep the gold standards for dance in motion pictures:

Terence Lewis
It is rather difficult to choose out a single classic song that has influenced me since so many of them are so brilliantly written and performed. Still, two of Sarojji’s songs are particularly noteworthy. Dhak Dhak is one (Beta 1992). The reason this song’s composition strikes me as so rich is because the actress and her choreographer demonstrated that a memorable song can be created without a hundred dancers, complicated multiple sets, or extravagant wardrobe changes. It’s a seductive solo dance performance with double-entendre lyrics that would have looked cheap and simplistic if it had been filmed on any woman back then.

I was a dance and fitness teacher when “Beta” came out, and by chance, I got to work with Madhuri as a personal training client for eight years. I questioned her directly, during one of my post-workout sessions, how she kept her dignity while singing raucous, sexually provocative songs like Choli Ke Peeche or Dhak Dhak? She flashed her gorgeous grin and said that if she thought anything was getting too close to being sexualized, she would follow Madhu Bala’s playful, innocent, and mischievous nature. This accomplished its intended goal while lessening the effect. The song Dhak Dhak transforms the ordinary and the carnal into an erotica work of art. Kudos to Baba Azmi, Madhuri, and Sarojji for keeping us captivated and engrossed with their camera looks.

Conversely, ‘Dola Re Dola’ from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s masterpiece ‘Devdas’ (2002) is another song with a huge number of dancers, spotless sets, and costumes weighing several kilograms. Considering Sanjay Sir was directing, it makes sense that every shot is a beauty, even if the filming took an unprecedented twenty days. Because it was a complex shot split with few cuts, there is a rumor that Sarojji’s son Raju Khan assisted her in designing the camera positions. If you pay close attention to the song, Madhuri and Aishwarya—who play Chandramukhi and Paro, respectively—are two very talented dancers and actresses. In several scenes, the camera follows one actor as they leave the frame while the other performs, starting the shot with the two of them together with other dancers. As the second actor enters the frame at the appropriate time to complete the shot, the camera stays on course without making any cuts. For any choreographer who wants to understand cinema and not simply dance, choreographing this with 100 dancers, 200 junior artists, and many important actors in the frame in a single cut is a whole curriculum unto itself. It is also important to note that the first choreographers to showcase this talent were Sohan Lal master and Hira Lal master, who did so sixty years ago in songs like Hothon Pe Aisi Baat with Vyjayantimala in Jewel Thief and the Saphera Naagin Dance in Guide.

For these cinematic masters, praise is due to the team’s expertise, technical prowess, and beauty.
Another song that has stuck with me in the last few years is Jab Saiyyan from the movie Gangubai, which stars Alia Bhatt and debutante Shantanu Maheshwari as her paramour.Here’s a song that doesn’t include any dancing, but you still have to appreciate how beautifully it’s picturised and how musically sound it is. The cinematic bible is the anxiety of their love for me, the sweet look of two forbidden lovers in the automobile, and the dance of the deck of cards.

Remember that thirty years ago, SLB worked with Vidhu Vinod Chopra on the song “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha” and the movie 1942: A Love Story? SLB supposedly conceptualized the whole shot design for that song, and it’s not hard to imagine that even before he became a filmmaker, he was narrating tales via songs and images. As a choreographer, I would say that on this International Dance Day, he is someone I would look up to for maintaining the highest standards for dance in motion pictures and for his creative vision and genius in producing timeless tunes.

I have never seen a song like Hothon mein aisi baat choreographed. Remo D’ Souza
“The Jewel Thief (1967) song Hothon mein aisi baat is one that I consider iconic.” That is the most intricately choreographed song I have ever seen. Naturally, I like every song that Saroj ji (Saroj Khan) has choreographed. However, I think Ahmed Khan, another choreographer, changed the Indian film industry’s approach to choreography. Since then, there has been a significant shift in choreography.A song that becomes iconic is one that becomes standard for years to come: Hegde Ganesh
Growing up, I believed Amitabh Bachchan to be the greatest dancer. He was the only person who had ever danced in movies and looked enormous, such as Pag Ghungroo Baandh (from Namak Halaal) and Zamana Haseeno Ka Deewana (from Yaarana 1981). The only actors who danced before him were Jeetendra ji and a few others. After the arrival of Mithun and Govinda ji, songs like I’m a Disco Dancer caused a power shift.

Govinda was furious when I began dancing. The breakdancing of Michael Jackson really inspired me. Thus, in my opinion, Govinda’s street dancer in Hindi movies was the trend-setter. Later, Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman adopted this style. Goriya chura na mera jiya (Coolie No. 1) by Govinda was another outstanding song. Subsequently, I thought Saroj Khan’s choreography for Shah Rukh in Yeh kaali kaali aankhein (Baazigar 1993) was excellent. Later on, I sang a song for Salman called O O Jaane Jana, which also went viral for being bare-chested.

A song that becomes a standard for years to come is considered iconic. For example, the following generation was inspired by the dancing of Sridevi ji and Madhuri ji.
Sridevi ji’s Chaalbaaz (1989) had all of the classic songs. Aaja Sanam (Khilaaf) by Madhuri ji and several more works created the pattern. One of my favorite songs is Choli Ke Peeche (Khalnayak) by her. Prabhu Deva choreographed the amazing song “Main aisa kyun hoon” (from Lakshya), featuring Hrithik Roshan. Actually, Muqabla and Urvashi by Prabhu Deva are two of the trendsetters.

Numerous celebrities from Indian films have not only danced but have inspired the country to dance as well: Bosco Martis
One song whose choreography especially sticks out in 80s and 90s movies is Dola Re. Prior to then, Vijay Anand’s songs are very recognizable in terms of their conception, execution, and originality in film. Teesri Manzil (1966), one of his films, included some excellent songs (O Mere Sona Re, O Haseena, Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyaar Tera). I often go back to classic songs for inspiration since there were no monitors and the director and DOP would work together to shoot a song. Hothon Pe Aisi Baat is another song that is a fantastic source of inspiration.

“Allu Arjun and Ram Charan are the best dancers we have right now; they have some iconic moves,” the statement reads. I may be a little prejudiced since I have worked with many Bollywood stars, but Hrithik has such a smooth dancing style and a ton of flair. I believe there is a certain style and body language to his song Bang Bang. Many of these men are celebrities who not only dazzled but also inspired the country to dance.