InIndian cinema, anitem number orspecial song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Telugu,Tamil,Hindi,Kannada,Punjabi, andBengali cinema) to describe a catchy, upbeat, often provocative dance sequence for a song performed in a movie.[1] The main aim of an item number is to entertain movie-goers and to lend support to themarketability of the film by being featured intrailers.[2] They are favoured by filmmakers as they afford the opportunity to pick potential hit songs from the stocks, since they do not add to the continuity of the plot.[3] It is thus a vehicle for commercial success that ensures repeat viewing.[4]
An actress, singer, or dancer, especially someone who is poised to become astar, who appears in an item number is known as anitem girl. While there areitem boys[2] as well, women are more commonly featured in item numbers than men.[5][6]
InfilmiMumbai slang, the termitem means a "sexy woman",[3] thus the original sense of "item number" is a highly sensualized song with racy imagery and suggestive lyrics.[7]
Up to the 1970s, Hindi cinema often relied on a female "vamp" character – usually playing the role of acabaret dancer,tawaif/prostitute/courtesan, or male gangster's moll – to provide musical entertainment deemed more risqué. While film heroines also sang and danced, it was the vamp who wore more revealing clothes, smoked, drank, and sang sexually suggestive lyrics.[3] The vamp was portrayed as immodest rather than evil, and her dance performances were sexualized by male producers. The trend was started byCuckoo in films likeAwaara (1951),Aan (1952) andShabistan (1951).[8]
Item numbers had been featured in Bollywood from as early as the 1930s.Azoorie in the 1930s often performed item numbers;Cuckoo was the next popular item dancer in the late 40s. Her banner year was 1949 when she was featured in over 17 films performing dances. Actress and classical dancerVyjayanthimala was the one that introduced the classical dance number in Hindi films with her debut filmBahar (1951). The mixture of classical plus contemporary was popularized by Vyjayanthimala in films such asDevdas (1955),Amrapali (1966),Madhumati (1958),Sadhna (1958),Sunghursh (1968) etc.
In the early 50s,Cuckoo introduced the Anglo-BurmeseHelen as a chorus girl. In time Helen would come to be the most popular vamp of the late-50s, 60s and 70s,[9] having had performed in scores of item numbers including such popular songs as "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo" from the filmHowrah Bridge (1958), "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" fromCaravan (1971), "Mehbooba Mehbooba" fromSholay (1975) and "Yeh Mera Dil" fromDon (1978) (the song's tune was used inDon't Phunk with My Heart), "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" fromTeesri Manzil and "Aa Jaane Jaan" fromIntaqam. In films likeGunga Jumna andZindagi the actress performed semi-classical Indian dances in songs like "Tora man bada paapi" and "Ghungarwa mora chham chham baaje". Adesi bar number, "Mungda" fromInkaar was also immensely popular. In addition to her skillful dancing, her anglicised looks too helped further the vamp image.[10] Helen's dominance pushed other vying item number dancers like Madhumati,Bela Bose,Laxmi Chhaya, Jeevankala,Aruna Irani, Sheela R. and Sujata Bakshi into the background and less prestigious and low budgetB-movies.
In the early part of the 1970s, actressesJayshree T.,Bindu,Aruna Irani andPadma Khanna entered into what was Helen's monopoly. Another noted feature of this era was the "tribal andbanjara" item numbers such as the one inShalimar. Such songs provided the necessary settings for the lead couple's love to bloom.[11]
Silk Smitha was part of several successful Itemdance numbers in the 1980s Indian films.[12] Around the 1980s the vamp and the heroine merged into one figure and the lead actress had begun to perform the bolder numbers. The craze for "tribal andbanjara" item numbers were soon gave way to slick choreography.[11] In the late 1990s, with the proliferation of film songs based television shows, film producers had come to realise that an exceptional way to entice audiences into theaters was by spending excessively on the visualization of songs. Hence regardless of the theme and plot, an elaborate song and dance routine involving spectacularly lavish sets, costumes, special effects, extras and dancers would invariably be featured in a film. It was asserted that this contributed highly to the film's "repeat value".[13]
Madhuri Dixit is often considered to be the pioneer of the modern trend. In the late 1980s, the song "Ek Do Teen" was added to the movieTezaab as an afterthought, but it transformed Dixit and made her a superstar.[13] Her partnership with choreographerSaroj Khan has resulted in numerous hits including the controversial "Choli Ke Peeche Kya hai" and "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga" (Beta).[14] Soon after the release of the filmKhal Nayak, there were press reports stating that people were seeing the film again and again but only for the song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" that featured Dixit.[13]
Although there have been many songs that fit the descriptions of item numbers in the early and mid-1990s, the term itself was coined whenShilpa Shetty danced for "Main Aai Hoon UP Bihar Lootne" in the movieShool. This is perhaps the first time the media actually referred to Shetty as an "item girl" and the scene as an "item number".[15]
Since 2000, many top Hindi film stars now do item numbers, and many new women entering Bollywood find item numbers a more amenable shortcut to success, as opposed to more traditional roles with no guarantee of eventual stardom.[citation needed] Former item girls in pop songs outside films,Rakhi Sawant andMeghna Naidu, for example, are now in demand and very popular. Today, they are even being given lead roles in movies.[as of?] As of 2007,Mallika Sherawat had become the most expensive item girl, charging Rs. 15 million (roughly US$375,000) for the song "Mehbooba O Mehbooba" inAap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story.[citation needed] Another example is actressUrmila Matondkar, who featured in "Chamma Chamma" in the 1998 filmChina Gate and "Tandoori Nights" in the 2008 filmKarzzzz.
Malaika Arora andYana Gupta are "official" item number dancers and have said in interviews that they don't want to act in movies since they already earn more than enough money just by doing one item number as opposed to full-on roles.[citation needed]
Abhishek Bachchan became the first "item boy" with his performance inRakht;Shah Rukh Khan performed an item number of sorts during the opening credits ofKaal but later had an item number in a truer sense of the word with "Dard-e-disco" inOm Shanti Om, where he was shot in a more typical "item girl" manner, with Khan wearing minimal clothing (though this number did have a connection, albeit tenuous, with the plot of the film). InKrazzy 4,Hrithik Roshan has an item number during the end credits.Ranbir Kapoor made his debut in an item number inChillar Party (2011); drawing inspiration from his father Rishi Kapoor'sQawwali song "Parda Hai Parda" fromAmar Akbar Anthony. In 2005 and 2006 actressBipasha Basu gave blockbuster hit numbers like No Entry and Beedi Jalaile.
In 2005,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was featured in "Kajra Re" from the movie,Bunty Aur Babli.
In 2006,Mumaith Khan was featured in "Ippatikinka" from a Telugu film,Pokiri, sung bySuchitra. Plus, the remake did the same to 2007 Tamil film,Pokkiri in "En Chella Peru Apple".
In the 2007Telugu filmDesamuduru, the song "Attaantode Ittaantode" featuringAllu Arjun andRambha became a chartbuster. In the 2007 filmOm Shanti Om, the song "Deewangi Deewangi" had guest appearances by over30 Bollywood stars. In 2008, the makers ofRab Ne Bana Di Jodi featuredKajol,Bipasha Basu,Lara Dutta,Priety Zinta, andRani Mukerji playing five leading ladies oppositeShahrukh Khan in the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte".
In 2010,Katrina Kaif featured in "Sheila Ki Jawani" fromTees Maar Khan, andMalaika Arora featured in "Munni Badnaam Hui" fromDabangg.[16] Parallels were drawn between Katrina and Malaika, as well as between the item numbers, in what was popularly known as the "Munni vs Sheila" debate.[17][18] The songs became so popular, that, soon, more films began incorporating item numbers, and with more top stars now wanting to do them.[19]
In 2012,Katrina Kaif again featured in an item number "Chikni Chameli" inAgneepath, sung byShreya Ghoshal which became a huge hit,[20] whileKareena Kapoor was featured in "Fevicol Se" inDabangg 2, sung by the same artist from "Munni Badnam Hui".[21] In 2013,Deepika Padukone had some success item dancing, performing songs like "Party On My Mind" and "Lovely".Priyanka Chopra did many songs such as "Babli Badmaash", "Pinky", and an appearance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali'sGoliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela song "Ram Chahe Leela", of which became a blockbuster upon release.Mahi Gill,Sonakshi Sinha, andJacqueline Fernandez made their debut with "Don't Touch My Body", "Govinda Govinda" and "Jadu Ki Jappi" respectively.
Indian-Canadian actressSunny Leone performed her first item dance with "Laila" from the 2013 film "Shootout at Wadala", followed up withBaby Doll fromRagini MMS 2.
In 2017, Sunny Leone featured in the hit item number "Laila Main Laila" starringShah Rukh Khan in the filmRaees. It is a recreation of the song "Laila O Laila" from the 1980 filmQurbani, which featured actressZeenat Aman withFeroz Khan in the original musical number.[22]
In 2017,Anglo-Indian actressAmanda Rosario featured in the item number "Sarkar"[23] sung by Rani Hazarika from the movieUdanchhoo.
In 2018,Pooja Hegde featured in the hit item number "Jigelu Rani" from the filmRangasthalam.[24] The song was trending onYouTube.[25]Jacqueline Fernandez featured in the remake of the "Ek Do Teen" song that originally featured Madhuri Dixit.Moroccan-Canadian dancer-actressNora Fatehi also featured in the item song "Dilbar" which has become one of the most popularBollywood music videos of all time.[26] It is a recreation of an item number of the same name fromSirf Tum (1999), which was composed byNadeem–Shravan and featuredSushmita Sen as an item girl. The re-created version byTanishk Bagchi featuresMiddle-Eastern musical sounds.[27] In the music video, Nora Fatehi performsbelly dancing, anArabic dance style that was previously featured in a number of popular Bollywood item numbers, performed by actresses such asHelen in "Mehbooba O Mehbooba" fromSholay (1975),Zeenat Aman in "Raqqasa Mera Naam" fromThe Great Gambler (1979),Mallika Sherawat in "Mayya Mayya" fromGuru (2007), andRani Mukerji in "Aga Bai" fromAiyyaa (2012).[28] The international success of "Dilbar" inspired anArabic-language version, also featuring Nora Fatehi. "Dilbar" is popular across Southern Asia and theArab world, with all versions of the song having received more than 1 billion views on YouTube.[29] From then on, Nora Fatehi became associated with performing item numbers that featured belly dancing.
TV and Bollywood ActressMouni Roy made her debut by "Nachna Aunda Nahi". The "Gali Gali" track from the Kannada filmK.G.F: Chapter 1, sung byNeha Kakkar, which featured Mouni Roy also, was a huge hit.
Alia Bhatt also made an appearance in "The Hookup Song" fromStudent of The Year 2 (2019).
In the 2020s, the item songs moved away from the suggestiveness and risque visuals to a more musical and dance-filled approach, while still wearing similar belly-dance clothes. In 2021, the popular "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava" track sung by Indravathi Chauhan from theTelugu language filmPushpa: The Rise featuringSamantha was released.Nushrratt Bharuccha too featured in an item number song from the filmChhalaang. In 2021,Janhvi Kapoor performed her first item number in the song "Nadiyon Paar" from the filmRoohi.Pooja Hegde delivered an Arabic belly dance in blockbuster song "Arabic Kuthu" fromBeast. In 2023,Sayyeshaa featured in an item number "Raawadi" from the Tamil filmPathu Thala.[30] In this era,Tamannaah became the most popular item girl in the film industry, featuring in songs like "Kaavaalaa" fromJailer alongsideRajinikanth and "Aaj Ki Raat" fromStree 2. In 2024, ActressSharvari performed her first item number in the song "Taras" fromMunjya
On 21 July 2005, Indian parliament passed a bill to bandance bars inMaharashtra. Criticizing the bill and supporting the dancers,Flavia Agnes said that bar dancing cannot be termed as vulgar, what they are doing is an imitation of what item girls are doing in films, they work there out of their own choice.[31]
As one writer put it, "On paper, item numbers form the perfect formula for female sexual empowerment. In reality, they mostly result in the most blatant objectification. Camera angles zoom in over gyrating hips and linger over bare waists as blatantly as the eyes of the ogling men with no subtlety. The gaze in these dance numbers presents itself as vaguely voyeuristic, at best. There is a very deliberate implication present; that the item girl is not only inviting the leers and jeers, but she is also enjoying them."[32]
In 2013, theCentral Board of Film Certification issued a resolution declaring that item songs will now be rated as adult content and will not be allowed to be shown on television channels.[33]