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phenomenon
Say shava shava mahiya!
The Bollywood dance brigade… in Pakistan
Instep takes a look at the newest fad sweeping through the cities - combining our decades-old love for Bollywood music with working out - and learning how to dance!
By Saba Imtiaz |
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We are a nation obsessed with Bollywood. Even those who decry the Indian film industry for its trivial nature, inane storylines and song-and-dance routine, cannot help but admit that Bollywood has become a worldwide phenomenon to be reckoned with. In Pakistan, while the '70s saw Amitabh Bachchan emerge as a cultural icon because countless young men aped his hipster jeans and denim jackets, the '80s, with its repression of local music, film and fashion saw the advent of the VCR and smuggled copies of gossip magazines like Filmfare and Stardust. The VCR became a status symbol - if you had it, you were the envy of the neighbourhood, veritable social kings and queens because your house became the centre point for friends and family to gather. |
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The 80s Anwar Maqsood play, Aangan Tehra which epitomized the trials and tribulations of the decade best and starred Shakeel, Bushra Ansari and the late Salim Nasir, cited the VCR as a must-have purchase in several episodes. One of my favourite dialogues from the TV serial was when the grumpy Bushra responds to Salim (who plays their beloved manservant) when he asks her what to buy "VCR hee khareed lo... budget mai wohi sasta hua hai."
While the VCR was replaced by the satellite dish craze in the early '90s, which made way for cable television, Bollywood ruled throughout. For all intents and purposes, Bollywood has crossed the Wagah border to make Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan more familiar figures than distant (or close) relatives.
The same goes for Bollywood dance music - be it weddings, birthdays or family reunions - music from Indian films has always been part of the soundtrack. In the '80s, 'Lakdi Ki Kathi' from the Masoom soundtrack replaced conventional nursery rhymes as every child's favourite song.
And whether its the classic 'Rang Barse' off Silsila or songs from the hit movie of the season, they've all found a place on mixed tapes, CDs and iPod playlists. |
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While Bollywood soundtracks have always been a top favourite to dance to at weddings, there's a new phenomenon in town and it seems like its here to stay. That's the Bollywood dance as exercise mania, which seems to have swept everyone off their feet, into their track pants and in the gym. For women and men everywhere who use their treadmills as a place to pile clothes on and let their trainers languish, this has come as great news. After all, it's a way to exercise while having a blast to the tunes of Singh is Kinng or Rang De Basanti - what's not to like?
What has really sparked the phenomenon is the BodyBeat Dance Studio. Operating from the environs of Shapes in Karachi, BodyBeat is the brainchild of dance choreographer Hasan Rizvi. According to Rizvi, the aim of the class - which focuses on bhangra, hip-hop and Bollywood - isn't really exercise (even though one loses 600 calories per class), but is to teach dance. Over |
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| a few months word began to spread about BodyBeat, to the extent that the classes have now become so popular that there are long waiting lists for a coveted spot. Its been a year since BodyBeat opened its doors and Hasan, a marketer by profession and who studied dance as a minor at college in Canada, didn't market the idea other than announcing it to his Facebook friends list. |
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Rizvi enthuses, "the response was brilliant from the very first day." He had 200 people show up on the first day, who then went through a round of elimination, to make it to the slot of 70 people that Rizvi could accommodate in his biweekly classes. The classes now have auditions for beginners and a series of three auditions for the intermediate level class, so that Rizvi can maintain quality control and also ensure that the dancers can feel comfortable. "It's the worst thing when people are conscious when they're dancing, because dancing is all about letting loose."
Rizvi's own star is on the rise as well: he's choreographed a number of television shows and the success of the classes helped him to put together a Bollywood musical of sorts called Cinema Live, which ran for four nights in April in Karachi. Rizvi also says that he's now had several people tell him they want to be choreographers, which does make him feel like he's had an impact on the scene.
There are several others offering Karachiites the chance to get fit while dancing up a storm. The newest addition is Joshinder Chaggar's bi-weekly classes that are being conducted at an exercise studio in Karachi, which combines basic Bollywood dance with a workout. Chaggar, who was featured in the video for Jal's 'More Piya', also notably choreographed and starred in Zeb and Haniya's video for 'Aitebar' and more recently, choreographed Amanat Ali's 'Kohram' video as well as a segment for the PTV awards. She's also choreographed two notable commercials - the Jazz ad starring Fawad Khan and Wasim Akram and the Tarang ad with Moammar Rana, Saima and Sana - the latter was definitely worth watching not just for the celebrity factor but because the dance moves looked inherently easy and a far cry from the vulgarity that is often associated with Lollywood dance.
But what makes Bollywood dancing so special? For one, it combines the exercise factor with dancing, something people have been doing for years now at weddings. Secondly, it has actually become a great way to prepare dances for mehndis and dholkis that have long become extremely competitive dance face-offs than a way to celebrate. Attendees of the BodyBeat Dance Studio classes have taken the dance routines out of the gym and onto the wedding dance floor, upping the ante and wowing the competition on the 'other side'. (Woe betide those who have BodyBeat dancers on both sides at a mehndi though!)
But mehndi movements aside, one does wonder what the motivation is behind joining a Bollywood dance class - to shed the pounds or to turn into a star worthy of a Karan Johar film?
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Chaggar says that that the motive is definitely to lose weight, and that the first question people ask before joining her class is 'will we lose weight?' Rizvi says everyone has their own reasons: some come to exercise, others to learn dance, some come to socialize and others because its "hip, young, happening and new." Rizvi also adds that it's a great way to let off steam - his class features a section called 'Cool Off' where people only scream and yell for five minutes and feel incredibly light afterwards. (Do not try this at work.)
For those who can't afford to attend BodyBeat or Joshinder Chaggar's classes, have no fear. There are a myriad of dance competition shows on television that you can learn from - notably Jhalak Dikhla Ja and |
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| Nach Baliye - that feature some absolutely crazy yet doable dance moves. But if there is a show on television that really teaches one how to perfect Bollywood dance moves, it has to be Saroj Khan's show on NDTV Imagine, Nachle Ve. |
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Saroj Khan - to the uninitiated - was Bollywood's top choreographer in the '80s and '90s, and is to credit for Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi's classic dance moves while they ruled the box office. And her show is perhaps the best way to master those filmi moves you've always longed to do, whether its Sridevi's 'Mere Haathon Mai Nau Nau Chooriyan Hain' (Chandni) or Kareena's 'Yeh Ishq Haye' (Jab We Met). Saroj not only takes one through each step painstakingly via a troupe of students but also criticizes the students harshly, so much so that one can feel the admonitions pouring out of the TV screen and in your living room. (If Madhuri can take the criticism, so can you!)
With the recent spate of Bollywood experts to the west, the dancing movement has also caught on in the States. After the critical success of Slumdog Millionaire and its reign at this year's award shows, Bollywood dance has replaced India's last export, yoga, as the must-do exercise routine. After all, Slumdog mania even got the Pussycat Dolls to do their own version (cringe-worthy as it was) of 'Jai Ho' with A.R. Rahman. Last year, an episode of So You Think You Can Dance had contestants dancing on 'Dhoom Tana' from Om Shanti Om, and one of the most popular episodes of an earlier season of Britain's Got Talent featured Suleiman Mirza causing a sensation and flooring the judges by dancing to Tigerbeat's 'Nachna Onda Nei'. And one has a feeling that once celebrities who championed yoga ala Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow pick up on Bollywood style exercise, it may just become the next big fad until something else comes along.
Till then, you can either wait to get on waiting lists for BodyBeat or Chaggar's classes, dance up a storm in your own house with Saroj Khan or wait for the BodyBeat Dance Studio's next production after Cinema Live, which Hasan Rizvi plans to have happen within six months. It won't be another Cinema Live though - according to Rizvi: "Cinema Live was an eye opener. We plan to keep eyes open."
Jai Ho to that! |
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