By Hindustan Times
Even as top Bollywood actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone haven't any qualms about doing item numbers, veteran actress Hema Malini feels there's no need for them to do such songs. "I BELIEVE all big heroines who've earned an excellent name, there's no need for them to do item numbers. We've different people for doing item numbers," she said.
Incidentally, over the past few years several leading actresses have fallen for the recognition received from successful item number. Kareena danced on Chammak Challo (Ra.One), Katrina did Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan) and Chikni Chameli (Agneepath), Aishwarya danced at the popular Kajra Re (Bunty Aur Babli) number and Bipasha performed the Beedi (Omkara) item song.
In the 60s, actresses like Helen, Bindu or Aruna Irani did a few of the dance numbers, now called as 'item songs'. "Today now we have item numbers...dance repertoire is item number one, two, three...but now this item number is a few Munni Badnam Hui, Jalebi...these are all items. People adore it. It's not my taste, however the taste of individuals is changing, they like to see that," Malini said.
The actress, who's a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, lamented that the elegance of classical dance was missing in today's films and that it was dance that helped in building her acting career. "I TRULY miss classical dance in films. Audience today likes Munni Badnam Hui and Jalebi Bai roughly dances. I remember up to now we have now had Vyjayanthimala and Padmini, both trained Bharathanatyam dancers. They both got opportunity to turn good dance forms in Hindi movies."
"That time acting school was not there...we didn't know what to do, act so danced helped in some way. I USED TO BE petrified after I got offer to behave in a movie. In my case, dance helped me so much. Today there are institutes and it helps in a way," she said.
