Michael - Film Review

 Saw the film about Michael Jackson recently (April 2026). I was in the U.S. when he was a phenomenon, in the late 80s, and we saw a lot of his numbers on MTV then. Liked most of them. Some of them are reprised here, and quite well too- must have been tough for the choreographer and the actor who looks a lot like him.

The prejudice against Black singers coming on MTV is well depicted. So are his love for kids and animals, and cartoons. Of course, this is a positive film, so the only negative is his dominant father who tries to push him into things he does not want, after it is clear that he is a star creator and performer on his own. His social sensitivities are also brought out well.

The music selection is good, and is the highlight- as it should be, for a film about a musician. The signature moves are captured well.

I like Prabhu Deva, the Indian equivalent too. And I still remember the performance of I'm Bad! by Katarina Witt, chamion ice skater, at the Calgary Winter Olympics. It was Good!

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 Dudes and Divas

Bollywood has produced many great lyricists and music composers. But it has also given us a number of good dances, in movies across decades. Some actors, actresses and dance numbers stay with you years after the movie. Here is an attempt to list some of my favourites. I am excluding Helen, because she was a legend, and would have to be in a whole post by herself.

Kalpana Iyer with Mithun, in Wardaat. And Koi yahaan naache naache in Disco Dancer.

Karisma with Govinda- What is mobile number, what is your style number? Techno-cool song.

Bindu- Mera naam hai shabnam..in Kati Patang..musicless, almost.

Simple Kapadia- Jab chhaye, mera Jaadu..in Lootmaar

Kamal Hasan and Reena Roy---ahaha..ahaha..nisha, in Sanam Teri Kasam

Disco Deewane..not a film song (originally), but swinging song, by Nazia Hasan.

Zeenat Aman in Laila main Laila, Qurbani

Rishi Kapoor- Hum Kisise Kam Nahin - the competition song, and Bachna ai haseeno

Tariq- Yaadon Ki baarat. He was fab. Lekar hum deewana dil..

Aruna Irani in Bobby- a, a, a, a, phasaa.

Raveena in Tu cheez badi hai mast mast, with Akshay and Paresh Rawal..Mohra

Raveena and Govinda in - Kisi Disco mein jaaye..was it Bade Miya Chhote Miya?

Mumtaz..Zindagi, ittefaq hai, in Admi aur Insaan

Mumtaz in Aaj kal tere mere pyaar ke charche, with Shammi Kapoor in Brahmachari

Shammi Kapoor- aaja aaja, main hoon pyaar tera, in Teesri Manzil, with Asha Parekh

Padma Khanna- the seduction song in Johny Mera Naam- Husn ke laakhon rang, kaunsa rang dekhoge

Shilpa Shetty- Chura ke dil mera, goriya chali, in Tu Anari Main Khiladi, with Akshay Kumar

Kishore Kumar- Meri pyaari Bindu in Padosan, with a gang of comedians (and Paanch rupaiya baara aana in Chalti ka naam gaadi, with Madhubala)

Saif - Jab bhi koi ladki dekhun mera dil diwana bole ole ole..

And my favourite..Prabhu Deva in Mukkala muqabla, with Naghma, (Hindi version of movie called Humse Hai Muqabla, Telugu version called Premikudu and Tamil original was Kaathalan)