The magic number

Magic mantra or easy ticket to success?

Including a sizzling masaledar song sequence featuring a top actress or hot model seems to be a growing trend among filmmakers.

In order to woo the finicky audience, filmmakers force a item song irrespective of the script's requirements.

In most cases, these songs pop up in the middle of nowhere. It does not matter if the film's hero or heroine is conspicuously absent as long as a gorgeous actress or model fits in their place. Catchy lyrics, foot-tapping music and zingy choreography lures the audience.

Practically every heroine worth mentioning has done item numbers at some point in her career. Mamta Kulkarni in Koi jaaye toh le [Ghatak]; Raveena Tandon in Shaher ki ladki [Rakshak]; Urmila Matondkar in Chamma chamma [China Gate], Aaiye [Lajja], Sonali Bendre in Saajan ke ghar [Lajja]; Shilpa Shetty in UP Bihar lootne [Shool] are a few cases in the point.

Aishwarya Rai too joined the bandwagon. After playing Devdas's lovelorn Paro, Ash stunned everyone with her sizzling act in Shakti's Ishq kamina. Company witnessed Isha Koppikar sway to the beats of Khallas while model Koena Mitra set the screen on fire with the Nikal le [Road].

What makes the actresses game for item songs? Trade Guide editor Taran Adarsh says, "Established heroines do it to earn good money. Doing a sizzling number increases their market value and is good publicity for them. These songs go on to become chartbusters, which the heroines capitalise to go on overseas tours and earn mega bucks. Almost all heroines today wants an item song or two and are more than welcome to do it when approached."

How much they get paid to shake a leg and pout their lips is a wild guess.

Money is not the only criteria. Some actresses agree to make a song appearances for friendship's sake. For instance, Rani Mukherji did the Kaali nagin si number in Indra Kumar's Mann for peanuts at the request of good friend (and Ghulam costar) Aamir Khan. Sushmita Sen's Mehboob mere in Fiza was courtesy her close ties with journalist-filmmaker Khalid Mohamed. Raveena Tandon obliged producer friend Ashok Honda by appearing in Rakshak's Shaher ki ladki.

The newer crop of actresses agree to an item song for a different reason. Says Isha Koppikar, who shot to fame and became a regular Page 3 item after Khallas: "I refused Ramu [Ram Gopal Varma] when he first approached me to do the song in Company. I was worried about getting tagged as the item song girl in the industry." She doesn't mention that Varma signed her as the lead for his next venture.

This shows that newcomers like Isha and Koena Mitra agree to do an item song in hope of landing meatier roles with big producers/directors. Says Koena, "I have done just one item song for Ramu. I won't do any more as I want to establish myself as an actress, not a dancer. I agreed as Ramu promised that he would take utmost care in making me look very glamorous and good in the song. I'm satisfied with the way I look in the number and the response has been overwhelming to say the least."

MTV veejays like Maria Goretti and Malaika Arora earned added publicity and good money. Maria has done an item song in the unreleased Jaane Kya Hoga. "I love dancing and so when I was approached I agreed readily. I am really not looking at an acting career. One actor in the family (husband Arshad Warsi) is enough," she says.

As for Malaika being tagged as an item song woman serves her only too well. She shot to fame after Chaiyya chhaiya with Shah Rukh Khan in Dil Se. Industry observers say Malaika capitalised on her post-Chhaiya success and became the hottest thing in Bollywood and the modelling circuit.

Item songs provide a platform for choreographers to display their creativity. Dance director Ganesh Hegde, who was at the helm of popular dance numbers like Chamma chamma, Nikal le says, "It is great for a choreographer as you can be really creative provided you have a good dancer."

Though filmmaker Vikram Bhatt is "not in the favour of item songs that are out of context," he believes "the songs should take the film's story ahead and not distract from the plot. Most item songs in today's films are absolutely unnecessary and look as though they have been forced into the film's plot. I would have an item song only when it blends with my film."

Ram Gopal Varma echoes Bhatt's sentiments. "I made a mistake with the item song in Road. It looks out of place. But I guess producers succumb to the greed of making extra money from having a chartbuster song in the film. All item songs ride high on television shows and radio channels. The cassette sales go up for that one racy number."

Adarsh agrees, "Often, the music company pressures the director or producer saying that film's music isn't catchy enough to sell well. So an item song is done." Filmmakers agree, hoping a raunchy number will increase the curiosity value and make the masses flock to the theatres.

Ironically, films -- Road, Rishety, Shakti -- with item songs all bombed at the box-office. The magic mantra didn't work as the directors and producers hoped.

Adarsh says it best. "Producers and directors need to understand a song cannot make or break a film. It is ultimately a good storyline and direction that matters."