By Hindustan Times
In 1998, Salman Khan famously took off his shirt within the song ‘O o jaane jaana’ (Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya). Within the years to come, he would keep doing it with unfailing regularity, such a lot in order that ‘Name a film where Salman keeps his shirt on’ may well be a super quiz question.
The waxed and worked-out, bare-chested Bollywood hero was born because the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan followed suit.
Fourteen years later, actor Arjun Kapoor seems to have added a twist to the fashion. The brand new part to flaunt seems not to be the chest, however the belly button. Of course, actresses in Bollywood was doing it for years. But as Arjun danced to ‘Hua chokra jaawan re’ in Ishaqzaade, showing off perfectly toned abs, the male navel was well and actually within the spotlight.
What led choreographers Rekha and Chinni Prakash to return up with this move?
Chinni says, “Shirtless is passé. Everyone from the Khans to the Kapoors has done it. Habib Faisal’s brief to us was to do something different.”
Copy cat?
Curiously enough, close on Arjun’s heels, Akshay Kumar also has navel-baring moves within the ‘Dhadang dhang dhang’ song with Sonakshi Sinha in Rowdy Rathore. Chinni Prakash says, “It does look similar. I’m happy when one among my steps becomes popular, but I won’t use the similar steps in another dance number anytime soon.”
Eye candy for women
Farah Khan, who choreographed Shah Rukh within the shirtless ‘Dard-e-disco’ number from Om Shanti Om, says of the male sex symbol: “Of course, women fantasise about their favourite male stars. I don’t think they would like to peer all men skimpily dressed, but 95 per cent of ladies would wish to look SRK shirtless. If done aesthetically, it surely works.”
Hard work
Of course, the article to verify before showing off the navel is that it have to be a navel worth showing! And that takes hard work, if Arjun Kapoor’s now-well-known weight-loss story is anything to head by. Even for the song, says Chinni Prakash, Arjun rehearsed for 25 days. He says, “The song was shot even before Arjun started shooting for the film.”
He adds, “In the song, we would have liked that one step anyone could do at a marriage or in a disco.” Of course, before you are attempting it at a nightclub, we propose hours within the gym and a reality check before the mirror.
Mugdha Godse
The actor says, “Why should men have the entire fun? We actually have a right to ogle. Shirtless dance numbers has been done 100 times. We also need some variety. I REALLY LIKE this new ‘strutting the navel’ trend.”
Scarlet Wilson
Wilson, who shows off her pierced belly button in ‘Imported kamariya…’ from Shanghai, says, “India doesn’t have a Baywatch more or less show. What’s left for ladies to ogle remains their favourite male actors doing sensual dance numbers or lip locks. We must always have more male item numbers.”
Neetu Chandra
The actor says, “Less is more. Rather than a shirtless man, the hot navel-sporting trend in Ishaqzaade or Rowdy Rathore is sexy. We aren’t complaining.”
