NEW DELHI: ‘Man Dole Mera Tan Dole’ from ‘Naagin’ in the 50s, ‘Thaade Rahiyo’ from ‘Pakeezah, ‘Nimbooda’ from ‘Hum Dil Chuke Sanam’ , ‘Pinga’ from ‘Bajirao Mastani and ‘Ghoomar’ from Sanjay Leela bhansali’s ‘Padmavati’- these are some of the popular Bollywood dance numbers which have become a part of the popular consciousness over the years.
The songs and the dances, included in Hindi films over the years to add local flavour to these movies, have only helped to popularise folk dance styles among the masses. Over the years, the immense popularity of classical to folk dance styles like Garba, Ghoomar and Lavani have forced choreographers to devise intricate moves and unforgettable moments around them. From Vjayanthimala in ‘Devdas’ to Aishwarya Rai dancing to the tunes of ‘Nimbooda ‘ and later Deepika Padukone with Priyanka Chopra in ‘Pinga’ in the movie ‘Bajirao mastani’ , Bollywood has always exquisitely captured various folk styles and made them popular among the masses. Among the dance forms, Garba, a popular dance style from Gujarat, has become an intrinsic part of the Bollywood. From ‘Dholi Taro’ from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to ‘Shubhaarambh’ song from ‘Kai Po Che’, Bollywood has continued the tradition to rock the Garba dance over the years. While Mahira Khan and superstar SRK danced to the tunes of ‘Udi Udi Jaye’ in their recent film Raees, Deepika Padukone performed the dance with a vengeance in the song ‘Nagada’ in the romantic crime drama movie – ‘Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela’. Adding to the festive flavor and drama, the song ‘Shubhaarambh’ from the movie ‘Kai Po Che’ featured a vibrant Garba number. Since the movie was set in Gujarat, it beautifully captured the essence of the festival with a brilliant display of colours and Garba raas. A popular dance form from Gujarat, Garba is performed not only all over India but also all over the world by the Gujarati communities living overseas. Derived from the Sanskrit word Garbha meaning womb and thus, symbolizing life, the dance is traditionally performed in a circle around a clay lantern with a light inside. The lantern represents life and the dancers dance around it in veneration of the goddess Amba. Usually performed during the Navratras, modern Garba is more a celebration lasting the nine nights. ‘Lavani’, amomng the most popular folk dances of the Maharshtra region, has always been one of the most happening dance form among leading ladies of the Bollywood. Dancing diva Helen gave an unforgettable performance in ‘Mungda’ song in ‘Inkaar ‘ while 90s Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit performed the Lavani dance style in ‘ Humko Aajkal Hai from Sailaab and ‘Main Kolhapur Se Aayi Hoon’ from ‘Anjaam’. In recent times, Katrina Kaif enthralled cinegoers through her scorching dance to ‘Chikni Chameli’. Vidya Balan also received rave reviews for her first lavni number ‘Mala Jau De’ from the film ‘Ferrari ki Sawari’. Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone also took to the screen in their foot thumping dance jugalbandi Pinga for the movie “Bajirao Mastani”. Lavani is derived from the word ? Lavanya meaning beauty. While Lavani has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre, in the earlier times it was used as a morale booster for the soldiers during the wars. Lavani is a beautiful combination of dance and teasing lyrics with warm rhythm of Dholki. Women usually wear nine-yard saris while performing the dance. ‘Rauf dance’, another popular dancer style performed during the occasions of Eid and Ramzan, made its way into the famous movie “Mission Kashmir”. Performed by Preity Zinta and Hrithik Roshan, the song became a household name. A spring time dance. Rauf is usually performed by the women and is practiced with mystical poetry where the dancers dance in sync with the rhythm of the poem. One of the most notable features is their intricate footwork during the dance which is called as Chakri in the local language. The latest Deepika Padukone starrer ‘Padmavati’ will see the popularising of the Ghoomar dance, a popular dance form of Rajasthan. Trade sources said the actress took special training to perform the song in the movie, which required her to wear heavy jewellery and traditional costume. Believed to have been derived from the word ‘ghoomna’ which means spinning around, Ghoomar is the folk dance from the state of Rajasthan. The dance is primarily performed by veiled women who wear flowing dresses called Ghaghara.
Performed by Rajasthanis on almost all auspicious occasions, the dance involves pirouetting while moving in and out of a wide circle producing a kaleidoscope of colors. The dance is believed to associated with the royal women of the state where they only danced on special occasions especially, when a new bride when she steps into her husband’s home. The dance also found its way into the list of world’s most amazing local dances after an international travel website ranked it fourth on the list in 2013. In recent years, popular dance numbers like ‘Beedi Jalai Le ‘ from ‘Omkara’, ‘Do Jahaan’ from – ‘Haider’ , ‘Monta Re’ from ‘Lootere’ and ‘Jugni from ‘Cocktail’ also popularised folk dance styles. Trade experts say that while lending popularity to the Bollywood movies, these dance numbers also act as mascots of that particular region or culture. Also, with the dance numbers dominating public consciousness , the Bollywood films where they were featured helped spread awareness about these dance styles. (AGENCIES)
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