| Disco Dancer | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Babbar Subhash |
| Written by | Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza Deepak Balraj Vij |
| Produced by | Babbar Subhash |
| Starring | Mithun Chakraborty Kim Rajesh Khanna |
| Cinematography | Nadeem Khan |
| Edited by | Mangesh Chavan Shyam Gupte |
| Music by | Bappi Lahiri |
Production company | B. Subhash Movie Unit |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | est.₹100.68crore |
Disco Dancer is a 1982 Indiandance-action film, written byRahi Masoom Raza and directed byBabbar Subhash. It starsMithun Chakraborty andKim in leading roles, withOm Puri,Gita Siddharth andKaran Razdan in supporting roles withRajesh Khanna in a special appearance.
The film tells therags-to-riches story of a youngstreet performer from theslums ofBombay. The film is known for itsfilmidiscoBollywood songs, composed byBappi Lahiri and written by Anjaan andFaruk Kaiser. Popular songs include "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" sung byParvati Khan, "I am a Disco Dancer" sung byVijay Benedict, "Yaad Aa Raha Hai" sung byBappi Lahiri, and "Goro Ki Na Kaalo Ki" sung bySuresh Wadkar withUsha Mangeshkar.
The film was a worldwide success, with its popularity extending across Asia, theSoviet Union,Eastern Europe, theMiddle East,Turkey, andAfrica.Disco Dancer was also the secondhighest-grossing film ever in the Soviet Union and the highest-grossing foreign film.Disco Dancer established Mithun as a household name wherever the film went well, with Jimmy became a more popular name forMithun Chakraborty. Thesoundtrack album was also a success, goingPlatinum in India and receiving aGold Award in China. Adjusted for inflation, it is still one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.
Anil, a street performer andwedding singer from theslums ofBombay, is scarred by the memory of the rich P. N. Oberoi beating his mother in an incident during his childhood. When manager David Brown is fed up with the tantrums of current Indiandisco champion Sam and looks for some new talent, he happens to see Anildance-walking across a street. Rebranded as 'Jimmy', the rising disco star must take the throne from Sam and win the heart of Rita, Oberoi's daughter.
All seems to be going well until Oberoi hires men to connect Jimmy'selectric guitar to 5,000 volts of electricity, causing Jimmy's mother to die in a tragic accident. Jimmy gets guitar phobia after witnessing his mother's death. Later, Oberoi's goons break his legs. With help from Rita, Jimmy begins to walk.
Jimmy must claim first place for TeamIndia at the International Disco Dancing Competition amidst strong competition from Team Africa (Disco King and Queen) and Paris (Disco King and Queen). Jimmy is reluctant to dance, but Rita persuades him to do so. Sam arrives with a guitar to scare Jimmy. Rita manages to drag the show to encourage Jimmy to sing but to no avail. The crowd pelts him with stones which hit his head. Jimmy's uncle Raju arrives and advises him to infuse his mother and his music; he throws the guitar to Jimmy, after which Jimmy begins to sing. Oberoi's goons kill Raju, after which Jimmy travels to their lair and beats them up. In the ensuing fight, Oberoi is electrocuted.
The title songI am a Disco Dancer was shot at Natraj Studio in Mumbai over three days, where scenes featuring Mithun Chakrobarty's signature moves were filmed. Thereafter, the shooting featured crowds scenes atFilmistan Studio in Mumbai.[1]
| Disco Dancer | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 1982 |
| Genre | Bollywood,Disco,EDM |
| Language | Hindustani |
| Producer | Bappi Lahiri |
The music for all the songs[2] were composed byBappi Lahiri and the lyrics were penned byAnjaan andFaruk Kaiser. The tracks on the 1982 soundtrack album are as follows:
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Am A Disco Dancer" | Anjaan | Vijay Benedict | 07:49 |
| 2. | "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" | Anjaan | Parvati Khan | 03:04 |
| 3. | "Koi Yahan Nache Nache" | Faruk Kaiser | Bappi Lahiri,Usha Uthup | 05:28 |
| 4. | "Ae Oh Aa Zara Mudke" | Anjaan | Kishore Kumar | 05:58 |
| 5. | "Yaad Aa Raha Hai" | Anjaan | Bappi Lahiri | 06:22 |
| 6. | "Krishna Dharti Pe Aaja" | Anjaan | Nandu Bhende | 05:25 |
| 7. | "Goron Ki Na Kalon Ki" | Anjaan | Suresh Wadkar,Usha Mangeshkar | 05:23 |
| 8. | "Goron Ki Na Kalon (Sad)" | Anjaan | Suresh Wadkar | 02:48 |
The song "Yaad Aa Raha Hai" has been described as asynthesized,minimalist,high-tempo,electronic disco song. Geeta Dayal described it as a "disco anthem for the ages, and one of the best songs Lahiri ever did."
The song "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" has similarities to 1980 Frenchdisco song "T’es OK" byOttawan. The song "Auva Auva" (picturized on Karan Razdan's character Sam) was inspired by the 1979synthpop hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" byThe Buggles. The song "Cerrone's Paradise" byCerrone was used in the scene when David Brown discovers Anil who isdance-walking down a street. The song "Krishna Dharti Pe Aaja Tu" was inspired by "Jesus" byTielman Brothers. This version was used in the movie where Jimmy is practicing dance.[3]
TheDisco Dancer soundtrack was popular worldwide, particularly in India, the Soviet Union, and China.[4] The soundtrack wentPlatinum in India,[5] equivalent to 1 million sales,[6] and received aGold Award in China.[4]
| Territory | Gross revenue | Inflation-adjusted gross revenue (2016) | Footfalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic (India) | ₹6.4 crore[7] (US$6.54 million)[n 1] | ₹124 crore (US$14 million) | 15 million[9] |
| Overseas (Soviet Union) | 60 million Rbls[10] – US$75.85 million[n 2] (₹94.28 crore)[n 3] | US$230 million (₹1,176 crore)[13] | 120 million[10] |
| Worldwide | ₹100.68 crore (US$106 million)[14][15] | ₹1,261 crore (US$189 million) | 135 million |
In India, the film grossed₹6.4crore in 1982.[7] It was the 7th[16] or 14th[7] highest-grossing film at the domestic Indian box office in 1982, with its strongest commercial performance in theWest Bengal state,[7] home to actorMithun Chakraborty and composerBappi Lahiri.
In theSoviet Union, the film released in 1984, with 1,013 prints.[17] It drew an audience of 60.9 million viewers in 1984, becoming the most successful film at theSoviet box office that year,[18] the biggest foreign hit in the 1980s,[17] the fourth biggest box office hit of the decade,[17][19] the eighth biggest foreign hit of all time,[17] and one of the top 25 biggest box office hits of all time.[17][19] Including re-runs, the film sold an estimated 120 million tickets in the Soviet Union.[10] In terms ofgross revenue, it earned 60 millionSoviet rubles[10] (US$75.85 million,[n 2]₹94.28 crore),[n 3] the highest for an Indian film, surpassingAwaara's 29 million roubles.[18] This made it thehighest-grossing Indian film overseas up until it was surpassed by the over₹100 crore overseas gross ofMy Name is Khan (2010)[20] and3 Idiots (2009).[21][22]
Disco Dancer was also a success inChina, when it released there in 1983.[23] The song "Jimmy Jimmy" was popular there. According toAamir Khan,Mithun Chakraborty is famous in China due to the song.[24]
Worldwide,Disco Dancer grossed a combined₹100.68 crore (US$82.39 million) in India and the Soviet Union. This surpassed the₹35 crore gross ofSholay (1975),[25] makingDisco Dancer thehighest-grossing Indian film worldwide up until it was surpassed by the₹135 crore gross ofHum Aapke Hain Koun (1994).[26]Disco Dancer was the first Indian film to gross₹100 crore worldwide.[27]
It was remade inTamil asPaadum Vaanampadi withAnand Babu, and inTelugu asDisco King withNandamuri Balakrishna.Babbar Subhash &Nitin Kumar Gupta are producing a remake of a same name and is tentatively being written byV. Vijayendra Prasad.[28]
Upon release,Disco Dancer was a phenomenon, both domestically and internationally. Prior to the film's release,Bollywood was dominated by "angry young man"Bombay underworld films, anaction crime film genre pioneered by screenwriter duoSalim–Javed a decade earlier in the early 1970s. These films often exploredsocialist and "hero versus system" themes, often presented a poorhero's journey fromrags-to-riches, and involved violentrevenge plots against villains.Disco Dancer took the "angry young man" genre and subverted it: instead of having Jimmy fight the villains or get revenge through violence, he instead gets revenge and defeats the villains throughdisco dancing. This led to a wave ofdisco-themed Bollywood musicals in India, and it become a global phenomenon outside of India. It was a blockbuster in Asia and the former Soviet Union, and drew a large globalcult following, from Japan where a Jimmy statue was built inOsaka, to theWest whereDisco Dancer became the defining example of a stereotypical "Bollywood" film. Retrospectively, the film has received a polarizing critical reception, with praise for its music and dance numbers but criticism towards its plot, with Anuvab Pal calling it anironiccomedy film.[29][30]
The title song "I Am a Disco Dancer" was the inspiration forDevo's song "Disco Dancer" (1988).
TheBritish Sri Lankan alternative rapperM.I.A.covered "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" as "Jimmy" in 2007 for her albumKala. There have beencover versions of "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja" from other international musicians, including the 1998 hit "Jimmy" byRussiantechno groupRuki Vverh, "Jimmy Jimmy" by Russian artists DJ Slon and Angel-A, and a cover version byTibetan artist Kelsang Metok.
The music from "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja" was used in the final fight scene in theAdam Sandler filmYou Don't Mess with the Zohan.[31]
In 2010, the songs "I Am a Disco Dancer" and "Yaad Aa Raha Hai" were used in the 2010Bollywoodcomedy film,Golmaal 3, directed byRohit Shetty. The songs were relevant to the performance ofMithun Chakraborty's character Pritam, who reflected on his past as a young mega-hit disco dancer.
Aamir Khan's special appearance as Disco Fighter in theImran Khan starrer 2011 filmDelhi Belly is inspired by Mithun Chakraborty's role inDisco Dancer.
"Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja" and "I Am a Disco Dancer" are very popular in countries such asMongolia andpost-Soviet states such asRussia,Azerbaijan, andUzbekistan.[32]
Baimurat Allaberiyev, an ethnic Uzbek fromTajikistan, became an internet sensation by singing "Goron Ki Na Kalon Ki" and "Jimmy Aaja" in a warehouse. The 2008 video recorded on a mobile phone got over 1 million views on YouTube. He landed an acting role in a Russian comedy film,Six Degrees of Celebration (2010).
The film's soundtrack was used during the end credits of the 2019 Tamil filmSuper Deluxe.[33]
Korean K-pop artistAoora in collaboration withSaregama released the K-pop version of "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja".[34]
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