Films click on hit singles

RAKKAMMA Kaiyya Thattu

Hummma Humma

Chikku Bukku Chikku Bukku Railu

Thayya Thayya

Shaka-Laka-Baby

Senorita Senorita

September Maatham

All these songs were super hits. Ever wondered about the reasons that might have contributed to that apart from the music? Think. Sonu Walia? Sonali Bendre? Prabhu Deva? Gouthami? Malaika Arora? Sushmita Sen? Raju Sundaram? Sophiya Haque?

But wait a minute, none of these stars were actually a part of the story-line.

They weren't the lead stars, but probably were brought in just for that touch of glam. Tough to say whodunit first.

Remember `Mast Mast' ravishing Raveena going `Ore Ore' or Shilpa swinging to `UP Bihar Lootne'. Or Urmila in `Chamma Chamma' or `Prabhu Deva' in `Que Sera' who matched step with Madhuri Dixit in `Pukar'.

So, it's just not the actresses who are popping in for a one- song appearance, we also have the `shake' charming dance masters to tango with the lead stars, cutting a curt cameo, just to retain the restless drifters who otherwise pop out during the song sequences.

The directors have excuses galore.

a. IMAGE BOOSTER: To introduce the lead star of the film in the beginning of the film. (What Rakkamma did to Rajini)

b. BORE BUSTER: To provide relief to a serious situation, breaking away from the monotony of melodrama and glycerine- glutted eyes. (What Chikku Bukku checked out)

c. BLOCK BUSTER: To provide more variety to choreography and picturisations, to provide value-addition to the tough-to-please movie-goer and a wholesome meal of entertainment. (Pooja Batra with Ajit in Kandukondden...)

d. BOMB BUSTER: To set the stage for the climax or a crisis - a bomb ticking away, or a trap laid for the big bad baddie. (What Chamma Chamma chipped in as)

Out there in Bollywood, these songs are today known as `Item' numbers - an essential ingredient of a potboiler masala flick.

Even down south, we have our own directors Maniratnam and Shankar who have used such cameo appearances in all their recent films.

Today, choreography has come a long way, especially with `item' specialists churning out a bhel-puri of foreign farms, extras in uniform, flashy fashion outfits, glam dolls and waterfalls-far cry from Bharathiraja's white and white dance sequences or jumping jack Jeetendra's jig wearing white hat, white glasses, white shirt, white pant, white belt, white shoe and sometimes even a white scarf.

The bottomline: Visually vivid, aesthetically appealing, technically tact tangos are the order of the day, the so-called `item' numbers are here to stay.

By Sudhish Kamath

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