Choli ke Peeche sets the trend
In the past year or so, something is happening quietly- or raunchily, in Hindi film songs. It can be called the village voice taking over what was once reserved for westernised cabaret number, usually enacted by Helen or her followers. We are talking about the genre that's getting popular even among the suave, lounge-bar-hopping crowd. Go anywhere, or the FM channels or parties and you can't miss them: Sunidhi Chauhan's nasal rendering of Yeh To Bata/Dekhta Hai Tu Kya in Krazzy 4 or Billo Rani from Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.
Did it begin with Bipasha Basu gyrating to Beedi or a while back with Ila Arun's rendition of Choli Ke Peeche for Khalnayak? The song created considerable controversy with its many innuendoes. But now the listeners, or audience, are blasé enough to take on Mallika Sherawat or Rakhi Sawant moving all over in the skimpiest dresses that go in the name of 'ethnic' and particularly like to tap with the rural beat.
Or think of Omkara's title track sung by Sukhwinder Singh that immediately brings to mind the UP/Bihar landscape. It is rustic and earthy, with typical accent of the land. But that's the attraction perhaps it's a favourite in a plush drawing room in a posh Delhi flat as in outback.
Have we gone full circle then and going back to where it began, our song and dance tradition? Why is it that instruments heavy western pop style songs are being given good competition by these so-called rustic even nautch-girl songs in this age of technology.
The authentic Bollywood films have always claimed to be rooted to the soil. But songs like Dum Maro Dum and its clones in the '70s and '80s sometimes overshadowed the so-called gaon ka gaanas. Item numbers no longer have a Western feel to it, the song-and dance routines which are part of celebrations in rural areas of UP and Bihar etc have effortlessly waltzed into sleek productions.
Or perhaps there is not much to be surprised about. As the economy surges, Indians are getting more confident, Bollywood has attracted even the honchos from Hollywood and NRIs in New York or London don't cringe from dancing to the raunchy rustic numbers.
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