A playwright introduced me to a wonderful collection of poems from several cultures. The compositions were mostly from the middle ages (6th-13h centuries) and they celebrated love in its most passionate,decadent and at times unbearably painful forms. The romances took me to soaring heights, literally, as I flew across the country in the middle of the night to visit dear friends in Chicago who coincidentally had gotten married recently. Fatigue took over but fingers protested as I had to give form to my own thoughts on the subject. Here's an ode to love...
For the sheer wealth of talent which I am about to comment upon, I shall refrain from resorting to cynicism in this one post alone! The universe is well aware of my relentless criticism of poorly made movies,particularly from Bollywood or mainstream Indian cinema. My biggest peeve lies with the poor standards of lyrics employed by popular foot-tapping numbers in recent years. On the flip side, I derive a lot of pleasure in appreciating the choreography of a song which has been superbly crafted to match that song's musical excellence. Indian cinema today cannot really claim to boast of fantastic dancers of the calibre which actresses used to possess several decades ago. Yes,we do have Madhuri Dixit (God knows we hope she'll never stop dancing!) but in past years, we have seen some amazing women (and some men) enthrall audiences with their moves, classical for the most part. Here are some of my favourite numbers which showcase actors in Indian cinema for their talent in dance. They DEFINITELY are not arranged in any particular order as I cannot compare their talents and rank them.
1.Waheeda Rahman in "Piya tose naina laage re" (Guide)
I could try to suitably describe the magic that R.D Burman's music creates with Shailendra's lyrics especially when Lata renders it in her own style but as unforgettable as the music can be, it would be impossible to remember this song without Waheeda's graceful dance. If you are really curious to find out more about this number, click on the "more info" link found in the video link above. The description does justice to the video which I cannot hope to reword.
2.Vyjayanthimala in "Honthon pe aisi baat"(Jewel Thief)
Feast your eyes on Vyjayanthi's myriad expressions as she prances around the hall to entertain the prince and his court in Nepal while danger lurks everywhere. This is one phenomenally talented dancer, the likes of which we haven't seen since.
3.Kumari Kamala in "Abhinayangal.."(Konjum Salangai)
Bharatnatyam is probably the oldest form of classical dance in the world today and this song is a glowing tribute to its many nuances. Kumari Kamala does apt justice by bringing out the 5 'jathis' in the taalam(beat). The acts of creating portraits through the course of their dances may be an exaggeration but I would easily believe that such feats were(and are) possible by skilled students of this South Indian dance form.
4.Shobana in "Oru murai vandhu paarthaiya"(Manichitrathaazhu)
As a newly wedded wife who identifies with an alternate personality (that of a courtesan),Shobana etched this role to such perfection that the original Malayalam movie(featuring a Tamil song) was later remade in Kannada,Tamil,Telugu and Hindi. Shobana is an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer herself and this song has been treasured by her fans as one of her best dances in Indian cinema. The jerky opening moves give way to refinement when she transports herself back in time to relive the romance she once had.
5.Helen in "Piya tu ab to aaja"(Caravaan)
Time to pay our tribute to the grand old dame of Indian cabaret songs. I'd love to pick a whole bunch of songs by Helen to bring out her versatility but this one's probably the most famous. Check out how infectious her energy is!
6.Madhuri Dixit in "Maar Dala"(Devdas)
Oh come now, can this compilation be complete without the lady with a million-dollar smile? In "Devdas", Madhuri plays a courtesan dancer who patiently waits to get her affections reciprocated by a dejected lover. In this song, she accepts a challenge testing to prove her faith in the lover's arrival at her chambers.
7.Madhubala in "Pyar kiya to darna kya"(Mughal-e-Azam)
Nine years in the making, this movie broke all box-office records in India when it was released in 1960. The film tells the tragic love story between the Mughal emperor Jahangir and a dancer,Anarkali. Madhubala was irreplaceable in this role and one can't help but wonder at the striking resemblance between today's Madhuri and yesteryear's Madhubala. You have to check out some trivia related to this song and the movie itself!
8.Rekha in "Dil cheez kya hai"(Umrao Jaan)
Rekha turned legendary after the runaway success of this movie. Her simple gestures and emotions prove that a terrific dancer can charm you from right where she is seated. The beauty of these lyrics add to her rich expressions.
9. Karishma Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit in "Dance of Envy"(Dil to pagal hai)
Jealous of the new girl on the scene, Karishma's character gives Madhuri Dixit a run for her money in this dance-off.We all know Mads can dance but the lovely KK is no less and clearly...kitty has claws!
10.Vyjayanthimala and Padmini in "Kannum kannum"(Vanjikottai Valiban)
Ah, but if you want to see a real dance-off, step aside ladies! No duo can come close to Padmini and Vyjayanthimala as they match wit,charm,poise and grace in this legendary song. now both actresses were accomplished Bharatnatyam dancers in their time and it was impossible to decide who should be allowed to win the contest. Enter Gemini Ganesan to the rescue who saves the day when he realises that things are getting beyond control. I wish I could post the English translation of the entire Tamil song but that'd make this post way too long! Just know that the lyrics to this classic are as beautiful as the dancers who give them form.
Vyjayanthimala and Helen in "Muqabla humse na karo"(Prince):Bonus!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQmgcsRE44
Well!I couldn't really do justice to my obsession with Vyjayanthimala without including this one last number which pits her against cabaret queen, Helen. It's a sheer pleasure to watch them showcase so many dance forms in this number from "Prince".
