Ranbir Kapoor’s new solo dance number, ‘Pyaar Hota Kayi Baar Hai’, from the film, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, just came out, and initially gave us major ‘Badtameez Dil’ energy.
Video credit: T-Series via YouTube
But, when we looked closely, it reminded us of Kartik Aaryan’s own new dance song, ‘Character Dheela 2.0’, from Shehzada, which, confusingly enough, looks like Kartik’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 title track.
Video credit: T-Series via YouTube
We wish we could say this is an off-chance, a rare example, an anomaly. But it isn’t! Both these songs reminded us of a lot of similar tracks we have seen in the recent past. Watching these music videos made us feel like there’s a certain homogeneity permeating the Bollywood club song videos today. In an industry known for its eye-catching dance songs, why is this happening?
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The similarities between ‘Pyaar Hota Kayi Baar Hai’ and ‘Character Dheela 2.0’
Credit: T-Series Films, AA Films, Geetha Arts, Haarika & Hassine Creations, Brat Films
Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 song was uncannily similar to ‘Character Dheela 2’ in terms of Kartik’s styling, the look of the sets, the lighting, and the way it’s been shot. Now, in the two newly-released songs featuring Kartik and Ranbir, we see the same flashing club lights, a hero dancing with women around him, and a pool party.
Credit: Luv Films, T-Series Films, Yash Raj Films
Granted, Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a very commercially successful film. But does that mean things from it get repeated?
© T-Series Films, Cine1 Studios, AA Films
Is Bollywood being formulaic & avoiding risky originality?
In several interviews with Anupama Chopra for Film Companion, director-producer Karan Johar has reiterated his view that Bollywood is increasingly becoming formulaic in order to be risk-averse. “We take that big movie star, give all the money to that movie star, and then we are making a kind of template commercial film. We’re not pushing the envelope at all.”
If something worked once, people are recreating it to avoid chances of failure by experimenting with the new and unknown. However, this is coming at the cost of originality.
If remakes are being made, shouldn’t the videos at least be hatke?
© T-Series Films, AA Films, Geetha Arts, Haarika & Hassine Creations, Brat Films
Twitter has been rife with jokes about how Salman Khan’s original ‘Character Dheela’ track looks like gold compared to the new version. Often, remakes get this reaction because many like the nostalgia of the original. But this time, it’s also because the video has nothing new to offer, whereas the original was pretty quirky and creative in that sense.
Now, we know this is just about a dance number. But, just because it’s a dance song doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be creative. Dancing and music are a huge part of Hindi cinema, and reflect the industry’s uniqueness. It incorporates music, set design, fashion, choreography, star powder, lighting, and so much more.
Credit: Geetha Arts, Haarika & Hassine Creations, Brat Films, T-Series Films, Cine1 Studios, AA Films
To not experiment in that department means giving up on one of Bollywood’s most widely-recognised USPs.
Bollywood is known for its music videos, so we need more of those
We have seen some great music videos just this year from Pathaan, which have brought back the fun and thrill of a well-done dance track. Both ‘Besharam Rang’Jhoome Jo Pathaan’ had great videos one wants to re-watch, dance to, relish the fashion of, and remember as refreshing and original.
Given how Bollywood has long been associated with musical numbers and vibrant song videos, one yearns for dance tracks to have that flavour. Now, no one is saying that a serious indie art film has to have a colourful dance track thrown in. But if a commercial film does end up having such numbers, why not make it a bit more creative?
Lead image credit: AA Films, Geetha Arts, Haarika & Hassine Creations, Brat Films, Luv Films, T-Series Films, Yash Raj Films
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