Mehbooba Mehbooba to Tauba Tauba: Makers on evolution of item songs (2024)

Item number, a term whose origin traces back to the colloquial use of the word 'item', is used in the South Asian context to describe a sensual person (usually a female). Through the years, these item songs have evolved and so has the way they are incorporated in films. Even as years went by, and male actors began to appear in the upbeat dance numbers, makers continued to employ racy imagery, both in terms of visual and lyrics, to lure the audience.

Of late, these songs have begun appearing either towards the end or at the beginning of the movie, be it Vicky Kaushal's Tauba Tauba, Bhediya's Thumkeshwari, or Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2's title track. According to composers and producers, this is often done in order to ensure a hit and is used as a marketing tool to promote the film prior to its release.

COMPOSER LALIT PANDIT ON ITEM NUMBERS AND THEIR MARKETABILITY

Acclaimed music composer Lalit Pandit spoke to IndiaToday.in and said, "There is a desperation, I think. Because the whole team works very hard to make a movie, to make a mark. If the music is hit, then the film stands at least a 50 per cent chance of getting to the safe zone."

"Songs are included to promote a film. A lot of times it has happened, that the movie is shot, the production is done, and then these producers come to me and demand a hit song. Something to put in the end. The issue is when doubt creeps in. And when that happens, you try and resort to these methods," Pandit added.

Right from the latest Tauba Tauba featuring actor Vicky Kaushal, to classics such as Monica O My Darling, and Sholay's Mehbooba Mehbooba with Helen -- instances of these 'item songs' being employed in movies have been many over the decades. While initially, they would be included to advance a story, these days, they end up being promoted like music videos instead.

NOT JUST A SIDE-DISH

Trade expert and producer Girish Johar said these songs have proven themselves to be a great marketing asset, but they are not always used as a 'side-dish.' They are frequently a part of the main act, just like it used to happen in the olden days. Citing the example of Aaj Ki Raat from the film Stree 2 (with Tamannaah Bhatia), Johar told IndiaToday.in, "Item or special songs, whatever you want to call them. Right from the time of Sholay, they have been a part of the Indian film ethos. This is not limited to Hindi audience, other language films also have them. We did lose track in the middle, but we are doing it again."

"As far as the placement is concerned, that is the director's prerogative. These days, those songs come after the film has ended because they want the audience to watch till the end. For instance, in Stree 2, the Tamannaah Bhatia number was a part of the story. The songs help with the relatability factor. You can connect with them emotionally. It is a big revenue generator. It also helps music companies. I would want such songs to be included in my films too," Johar stated.

POETIC, DREAMY TO SENSUAL AND CONFIDENT: THE ITEM SONG EVOLUTION

Not just from a utilitarian perspective, but from the manner in which the songs were shot to the lyricism of the tracks, every element of the item number phenomenon has undergone a drastic transformation. While Gulzar's lyrics evoked poetry and a sensual, desperate kind of love in Chaiyya Chaiyya, Katrina Kaif's Chikni Chameli was about a bawdy and bold woman who was not afraid to express her sexuality.

In 1951, Raj Kapoor’s Awara had Cuckoo Moray singing Ek Do Teen Aaja Mausam Hai Rangeen. A few years later, we saw Helen sashaying to Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu in Howrah Bridge, and then there was Babuji Dheere Chalna with the vivacious Vyjayanthimala, brought alive on the screen by the incomparable Geeta Dutt. Cut to 1998, we had superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora gyrating to the hypnotic beats of AR Rahman's Chaiyya Chaiyya in Dil Se, which choreographer Farah Khan said was shot without harness atop a train.

THE RISE OF THE 'ITEM BOY'

Years later, item songs began featuring male leads such as Abhishek Bachchan. Junior Bachchan memorably starred in the Hindi version of One Love (originally by the band Blue), giving birth to the term 'item boys'. Bachchan has since been a part of numerous item songs, including the likes of Kajra Re, Right Here Right Now and Dus Bahane. A few years later, superstar Aamir Khan appeared in the Delhi Belly track I Hate You, dressed as desi Elvis Presley.

But what is it about these songs that attracts the audience so? Tauba Tauba choreographer Bosco said that it is a blend of everything -- the dance, the visuals and the song itself.

Speaking to IndiaToday.in, Bosco said, "I am not sure if it helps with the film's business as such, but I am sure it would be very entertaining to watch. It adds that entertainment quotient to the movie, and the audiences are hungry to be entertained. It also glorifies the actor, there are a lot of performances, so it is something to take back with you. I perceive it as a win-win situation (for everyone involved)."

REMIXES, ITEM SONGS AND 'RECREATIONS'

Often, makers remix an old song and present it differently in their films, and then those also get labelled as item tracks. The examples in case are many (Crew's Choli Ke Peeche, Ghaghra and Sona Kitna Sona Hai, Mr and Mrs Mahi's Dekha Tenu to list a few). T-Series head and producer Bhushan Kumar spoke on the subject in an earlier interview with India Today and said that his company not only remixes, but 'recreates' a song.

"Both Dilbar and Aank Marey were produced by our music company. I am running a music label. I am a businessman. If something works and the audience is accepting of it, why will I discontinue it for a small percentage of people who are criticising it? It’s simple, if you don’t like something, don’t watch it," the producer said.

Music composer Lalit Pandit weighed in on the discussion and said that thanks to these item songs and remixes, the art of producing a single soundtrack (for a film) is on the decline, "The one problem item songs have is that they are like soda, ek fizz hota hai, hungama hota hai aur wo ghoom ho jata hai. Phir aap na kabhi usko dekhte hai, na sunte hai (These item numbers generate a lot of buzz for a few days, and then they get lost in the noise)."

"Now, take my song only, Munni Badnam (from Dabangg). That song came, won awards and no one talks about it anymore. It is not like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai's music. Even the Vicky Kaushal song, Tauba, Tauba, which has become a hit, is, at the end of the day, a music video. You cannot put it within the film's context. The trend of releasing a whole album has altogether stopped. The soundtrack was designed for that particular character or movie. You can't take that music and put it anywhere else. That culture of designing is fading," Lalit Pandit told IndiaToday.in.

BRINGING BACK THE BUOYANT MUSIC OF THE YORE

But not all is lost.

There are some film directors who are keen on having songs especially made for their projects. Music producer Lalit Pandit gave examples of filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar and Mohit Suri, who insist on having a specific kind of soundtrack for their films, "There is wonderful music being made too, and there are directors who understand its significance for a film, be it Mohit Suri or Sanjay Leela Bhansali," Pandit added.

However, to dismiss item songs as just that, would be a disservice to the art of music making. As veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar once said during his Jaipur Literature Festival session, "Item songs ka films se koi sambandh nahi hai. Agar item songs unreal hote hai, to background music bhi (Item songs have no connection with the films as such. Everything is make-believe in the world of cinema. If item songs seem unrealistic, so should the background score)."

Tracks such as Omkara's Beedi or Namak Ishq Ka, Rahman's Chaiyya Chaiyya, Bunty Aur Babli's Kajra Re, and even Shool's UP Bihar Lootne are few of the many instances where music boasts of that vivacity, energy and poetry that can put a smile on your face and a spring in your steps. The hope is to bring back and cultivate that kind of music culture.