2013 - Item numbers that rocked Bollywood

Item numbers today are less about sleaze and more about catchy lyrics, trademark dance steps and rabble rousing music. Of course, they still have skimpily clad women dancing in the background or sometimes in the foreground if it’s Sunny Leone. But what’s refreshing to note is that item numbers today offer something more than just sleaze. A Sheila ki jawani or Munni Badnam will no longer make family audience cringe. Today even A-list actresses don’t mind shaking their leg for that one special song in movies. Tellychakkar.com takes a look at the top item numbers that made news this year. Priyanka Chopra (Ramleela and Shootout at Wadala) – The masses darling, Peecee appeared in two item numbers this year. Her seductive act of buttoning up her deep necked white blouse with her slim fingers, ever-so-slightly in Ram Chahe Leela from Ram-Leela, made men go delirious with joy. While she grooved with the grace of a courtesan dancer in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus, Shootout at Wadala saw a naughtier side of Priyanka who donned a cat suit and gyrated to cheesy lyrics that are normally played in a seedy bar. The song didn’t create much sizzle and like the film vanished away from public consciousness pretty soon. Sunny Leone (Shootout at Wadala) – Sunny Leone made sure men had their eyes fixed on her blessed twins when she grooved to the tunes of Laila in Shootout at Wadala. For most part, she just shook her booty and reminded us of her once glorious American past which she wants to hide while she is in India. The song with its tacking lyrics is played even today, at beer bars and the adjoining pan-beedi shops. Priyamani and Shah Rukh (Chennai Express) – Shah Rukh Khan got southern siren Priyamani to do a South Indian style rumba with him for Chennai Express and the result was fantastic. The song became an instantaneous hit and audience especially kids lapped it up with glee. As for Priyamani, we feel sorry for her. SRK effectively stole a march ahead of this South Indian actress and left her with very little space to create a buzz for herself. Madhuri Dixit (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) – Madhuri aka Mads made her much anticipated item number debut with heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. And the dancing diva lived up to her reputation of being one of the best dancers in business even today. Madhuri effortlessly rocked the song with her poise and classical dance moves that just made us hark back in time to the 90s when Madhuri had made the nation skip its heartbeat with her sensuous Dhak Dhak from Beta. Mahie Gill (Bullett Raja) – Tigmanshu Dhulia couldn’t have completed Bullett Raja without giving his favourite Mahie Gill a role. And to make space for her, an inconsequential item number with lyrics as tacky as Don’t touch my body was eeked into the movie. Neither did the movie create any ripples and nor did Mahie’s plunging necklines in the item number help the cause. The movie and the song was a colossal failure. Sonakshi Sinha (Himmatwala and Boss) – Sonakshi Sinha, the blue-eyed girl of all those who matter in Bollywood, had a dismal year but given the number of item numbers for big budget movies she appeared in, we are sure Shotgun’s daughter must be ending 2013 with a fat bank balance at least. She appeared in two item numbers. One for Sajid Khan’s Himmatwala where she moved and grooved to Thank God It’s Friday and later in the year, made an appearance in Boss for her favourite Akshay Kumar. And to her credit, Akshay gave her much prominence than the movie’s leading actress Aditi Rao Hydari in the song Party All Night sung by the controversial Honey Singh. The song though didn’t make as much noise as Honey Singh’s previous offering – Lungi Dance from Chennai Express. Nargis Fakhri (Phata Poster Nikhla Hero) – The super hot Nargis Fakhri greeted us with her washboard abs this season when she took to stage with the perhaps the best dancer in Bollywood –Shahid Kapoor – in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero….Dhating Naach came and went in a jiffy much like the film. Nargis failed to create any smoke and fire and if today the song is remembered it’s only for Shahid’s deft dance moves. Jacqueline Fernandez (Ramaiya Vastavaiya) – Jacqueline’s item number was the only good thing about this otherwise forgettable debut movie of Girish Taurani. Not that the item song did any wonders but it’s not every day that you get to see the very pretty Jacqueline, dancing in the middle of lush green fields, dressed in ethnic Ghagra Choli. Of course, the item number would have never happened had Sajid Khan still been dating Jacqueline. Possessive boyfriends, you see. Hit the poll section and let us know about your favourite item number of this year.