Hindi Film Dance Numbers

Choreography in Hindi films is very different from that in Western films, where different dance forms are used. We have dances steeped in our tradition, including classical, but also other forms adapted for Bollywood. Western forms have also been used by many music composers, with good results. Here is a list of some of my favourite dance numbers from Bollywood, starting with one of the latest.

1. From Bajirao Mastani, the high-energy dance by Ranveer playing Bajirao..Malhari.
2. Muqabla, muqabla,..Laila..from Humse Hai Muqabla, which I saw in its Telugu version titled Premikudu. AR Rehman's music is awesome, so is the dancing by Prabhu Deva.
3. O haseena zulfonwali..from Teesri Manzil. Shammi Kapoor, Helen and RD Burman.
4. Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zabaan par..again, Shammi, with Mumtaz this time. Bramhachari was the film.
5. Rishi Kapoor in Bachna aye haseeno lo main aagaya..in Hum Kisise Kam Nahin.
6. Lekar hum deewana dil, from Yadon ki Baraat..Tariq and Neetu Singh.
7. She is very pretty, from the film Priya. Tanuja with Jalal Agha.
8. Main sitaron ka tarana , from Chalti ka Naam Gaadi. Madhubala and Kishore Kumar
9. Hum the woh thi aur samaa rangeen samajh gaye na..from Chalti ka Naam gaadi..Kishore Kumar with Mohan Choti and Anoop Kumar.
10. Jaane-jaan, ..nisha from sanam Teri Kasam, with Kamalahasan and Reena Roy.
11. Mauja hi Mauja from Jab We Met..Shahid and Kareena Kapoor.
12. Jaan pehchaan ho, jeena  aasaan ho..from Gumnaam.
13. Hum kale hain to kya hua dilwale hain.. Mehmood and Helen, again in Gumnaam.
14. Mera naam chin-chin choo..from Howrah Bridge.
15. Ek pal ka jeena from Kaho na Pya Hai..Hrithik Roshan, Lucky Ali's voice.
16. Duniya haseenon ka mela..from Gupt, with Bobby Deol.
17. Jeena bhi kya hai jeena..Mithun with Salma Agha, one of his best dance numbers..in Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.
18. Tu mujhe jaan se bhi pyara hai..from Wardaat, Mithun and Kalpana Iyer.
19. Mast baharon ka main aashiq main jo chahe yaar karoon..Jeetendra in Farz.,,and 
20. One of my all time favourites, Shola jo bhadke dil mera dhadke with an endearing pair- Geeta Bali and Bhagwan dada...here is the link if you haven't seen this cute number. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXVfGi7QVg

Dancing Heroes

Heroes have to dance in Hindi films. That's a given, and except a couple of them, all others have fallen in line, dancing.

Mithun Chakraborty was one such who rose rapidly when he danced to some Bappi Lahiri tunes. One such movie was Wardaat. In this he gyrated to some fun steps in Dekha hai maine tujhe phir se palat ke and so on. Suraksha was another combo movie of this duo. Disco Dancer was another, and Kasam Paida Karne wale Ki where he teamed up with an unusual beauty, Salma Agha, was yet another.

Jeetendra was known for his tight pants and white shoes, but he managed to dance nevertheless. Farz, Humjoli (Hai re hai, neend nahi aaye), a couple of films with Mumtaz, and a host of them with Sridevi (Mawali, Himmatwala), were made for his energetic brand of song and dance. Dildaar, Judaai were some others.

Kamal hasan was a good dancer too, but his forays into Hindi films were limited. Sanam teri Kasam and Ek Duuje Liye were two where he did show his prowess.

Rishi Kapoor probably did the stage dances better than most. Hum Kisise Kum Nahin in particular, where his Bachna ae haseeno was a rage. Or Karz where he did Paisa, yeh paisa, with lots of verve. Of course, Rafoo Chakkar had Chhuk chhuk, chhak chhak, and Khel Khel Mein had a few good ones like Ek Main aur Ek Tu, and Khullam khulla pyar karenge hum dono.

Bonding with India-Vishwaroop

James Bond with all his singularities, has made a home for himself in this former colony. But he had to be white, had to sleep with countless women, and pull one-liners, drink shaken stuff, and introduce himself as Bond, James Bond (which I try sometimes). He was my favourite while growing up, though I don't watch the modern ones any more.

Not any more. He can now be a guy full of RAW energy from India, have a single wife who is cheating on him, be a dance teacher by day, and drink nothing alcoholic in sight of the camera. Kamalhaasan brings so many new dimensions into the role, that it is worth a dekko. I liked Shekhar Kapoor second best- dunno why he vanished after one or two roles ages ago. He is such a fine actor, with looks that one can only envy.

Anyway, there is some Afghanistan (nicely shot, like Feroz Khan did in Dharmatma), some New York (with NYPD cops bumbling initially), and a lot of action. It mostly keeps you interested, though a sequence or two are dragged a bit long. The first stunt is stunning, where he escapes from 10-15 goons of the terrorist outfit.

The idea of a desi Bond has been tried earlier, with Jeetendra and Mithun in particular, but this is classy stuff- a class apart. Though the Mithun and Jeetu ones were entertaining too, with some songs, and comedy.

Jumping Jack aka Jeetendra

Going back to the 70s is a favourite pastime of mine. Yesterday I chanced on some choice songs on TV starring Jeetendra and Leena Chandavarkar (separately and together). Some of these songs are actually rollicking and great fun. Humjoli was one such movie where they combine to sing Hai Re Hai Neend Nahi Aaye, and a couple of other songs - Dhal gaya din, ho gayi shaam jaane do, jaana hai (where they sing while playing Badminton, and the sound of the shots is incorporated into the song), etc..

Next to Shammi Kapoor, Jeetendra was the most physical in his dance movements those days, and I still remember him jumping around singing the song from Farz- Mast baharon ka main aashiq main jo chaahe yaar karoon..- in a Bond style role.

He later had a string of songs with Sridevi in films like Mawaali, Tohfaa etc.(which were parodied well in the recent Dirty Picture), but the song quality had significantly deteriorated by then. But the zest and physicality of the action remained.

Some good films he later starred in were Kinara and Parichay where he had a sober look and did well too. He also starred in a comedy from Telugu (Yamagola) remade in Hindi as 'Lok Parlok' where I thought he was not as good as NTR in the original, bacause it involved long dialogue and dramatic delivery. Among other things, the hero goes into Yamalok (kingdom of the God of death) and unionises the workers there! Hilarious script.