Bollywood-ish

Friday 16 December 2011

Chikni Chameli thoughts

Second by second Chikni Chameli has made its way to the public. An item number meant to spice up the upcoming Karan Johar´s production Agneepath, it is going to fully rock the screens early next year. After Sheila and Munni in 2010, that both enjoyed huge popularity, 2011 seems almost bare without it sown iconic item number. Sure, there were at least three attempts – Deepika in Dum Maro Dum remake, Yana Gupta gyrating her hips and looking rather sickly in Challo Dilli and I think I´ve heard something about „Shallu“ - but have not seen the song or the film... The fact remains 2011 was rather uneventful for Bollywood in general, and considering it´s BOLLYWOOD I actually did miss dancing in films.

I never would have though I would be thanking Katrina Kaif for reminding us that dancing is actually an essential, and one of the best parts of Indian cinema. Her Sheila was a well-shot video, but there was not much of an actual dancing. However promo of Chikni Chameli promises to be better. It leaves behind the Sheila image and actually is channeling Munni! The rustic look, play of colours (Katrina in bright shades of yellow and red while everything else is brown), chest and torso thrusting back and forth.... The choreographer is Ganesh Acharya, out of whose work so far I´ve only liked one song – Badi Mushkil from Lajja – and that was no doubt because of the dancer more then the choreography itself.... Chikni Chameli has some moves that looks plain weird at first, but after few rewatches become to seem rather cool – and probably a signature movements as well.

Katrina has apparently worked really hard. She may still be a below average actress, but she is a fairly good dancer, definitely one of the better ones in Bollywood of today. She looks beautiful in the song and what gets her few more points is the fact she also improved her expressions. The quick editing and change of camera angles also ads to her efforts. Another pleasant point – though Katrina is presented in a very sexy way, one does not get the slightly awkward feel Sheila Ki Jawani caused. Chikni Chameli is a bit naughty, but I don´t think it´s degrading women in a way Sheila did. True, Chameli is apparently lighting up cigarets with her hotness, but it´s nowhere near the drooling sleazy director in Sheila.....

What puzzles me however, are statements like „Katrina dances like no other actress ever has“, uttered by people like Riteish Deshmunk and others. Makes me wonder if they have ever watched any Vyjayanthimala film. Or Madhuri. Or Sridevi. Or Meenakshi Sheshadri. Or Hema Malini. Or even Aishwarya and Rani. Katrina is no way on their level of dancing and I can only forgive comments like that thinking it´s the excitement over something new (and for a long time un-seen).

So welcome Chikni Chameli. Hopefully you´ll again remind filmmakers that dancing is not uncool.


UPDATE aka how I was forced to change my mind. Read about it in my film review: http://bollywood-ish.blogspot.com/2012/04/agneepath.html

18 comments:

  1. Oh, wow. Now I was fully expecting you to hate on the song!!! :O But my sentiments exactly, I like it so far, but I think it's going to get a looooot of hate. I just hope it's not going to overshadow the actual movie. But dude, Bollywood was uneventful in 2011?? Ra.One, The Dirty Picture, No One Killed Jessica, 7 Khoon Maaf and I could go on! :) So not uneventful "in general", just on the dancing front ;)

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  2. I may not be fond of Katrina but I´m not biased enough not to admit her achievments :) And yeah, the song is going to get a lot of hate for sure...

    And yeah, I think it was an uneventful year in the sense there are VERY FEW actually good films.

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  3. The only thing that I have a 'problem' with is that there's so much... butt. It's rather vulgar, methinks. And her expressions are missing. She bites her lips and winks and such, but there's no Madhuri or even Aish expressions on her face. She's blank except for a smile. It just makes me miss the dancing around trees and moves that we all want to learn.

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  4. Well... I guess it depends on what you compare it to. In comparism to what I´v e been seeing in new films Chikni Chameli is not vulgar, or definitely not that much. Yes, Katrina has a "stone face". She manages to pull off some expressions in this song, I´ll give her that, but she is not natural at all.

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  5. one of the best song seen i have seen in my life i think it will be the song of year

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  6. Katrina has worked hard it shows!! So what if Katrina isn't a natural, at least she makes the effort!! That's what counts, hard work pays off! Give her some credit!

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  7. Ehm, Anon.... I think "Katrina has apparently worked really hard. She may still be a below average actress, but she is a fairly good dancer, definitely one of the better ones in Bollywood of today. She looks beautiful in the song and what gets her few more points is the fact she also improved her expressions." is giving some credit, don´t you?

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  9. So has kutrina kaif got demoted to item girl status these days? Ever since she stopped sleeping with a certain actor she isnt getting much of importance in bollywood and she is seen more as an item girl than mainstream actress.

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  10. "Katrina has worked hard it shows!! So what if Katrina isn't a natural, at least she makes the effort!! That's what counts, hard work pays off! Give her some credit! " her JOB and PROFESSION is to be an actress if she's not good in it ,,,then why is she in this business?? acting is a talent... working hard is not an excuse.. :)

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  11. The love affair with Katrina of the educated, intelligent multilingual movie watchers has ended by this display of her current ambition to impress and woo the paan chewers and the que jumpers. We feel betrayed, Katrina belonged to us! We were all in love with her and what she represented. She has now gone over to the other side. This breaks our heart and we want to display our grief. Will we ever forgive her? Or will someone new and fresh replace her? Katrina is dead, long live Katrina.

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  12. I HATED the untalented Katrina representing the fact that all you need is looks and no skill whatsoever. Now when she is finally managing to pull off some roles AND she actually DANCES in a BOLLYWOOD film people who feel they are highly intelligent (oh how humble are you) will dislike her. Give me a break.I am a a 24-years-old female student of history and social science from central Europe and I really like this dance number. It would be one thing to say you simply don´t like it. But to state things like "The love affair with Katrina of the educated, intelligent multilingual movie watchers has ended by this display of her current ambition to impress and woo the paan chewers and the que jumpers." is HIGHLY RUDE and arrogant from you.

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  13. BTW where were you when ths Katrina of "the educated, intelligent multilingual movie watchers" was tearing her shirt apart in Boom and when she was doing an actually vulgar dance like Sheila Ki Jawani last year?

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  14. CHOREOGRAPHY IS TERRIBLE !! Some of the moves were moves for a man !! Song is good , Kat looks sensational , POOR POOR CHOREOGRAPHY !! Terrible Karan Johar !

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  15. It's not even close to shiela ki jiwani... Be it in terms of music or in terms of choreography....
    We desis have a habit of over welcoming firangi entries in Bollywood:)

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  16. Vulgar and inappropriate dance doesn't suit Katrina at all!

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