Curious case of missing dance from dance numbers - no choreography, only clickbait

India Today

26-07-2025

Once upon a time, a dance number meant dance. It included high-energy choreography, expressive moves, and storytelling through motion. Today, what is often labelled as a dance number feels more like a tactic to fill cinema halls. From weddings to break-up parties, festivals to night outs, the film industry has long provided a track for every occasion. But in the race to go viral, is it losing the very soul of dance?advertisementLook at the recent crop of viral songs. 'Dabidi Dibidi', 'Mere Mehboob' to 'Kissik'. Catchy? Yes. Stylish? Absolutely. But do they have dance? That depends on how one defines it. Because if you think gyrating with the man in the video or jumping on him makes for a step, then you haven't seen the pure challenge of Helen's 'Mehbooba Mehbooba' or the stunning workout-like moves of Katrina Kaif's 'Chikni Chameli'. In today's Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts-driven world, songs are often tailor-made for that one viral step or even just a vibe.So what does the industry think? IndiaToday.in spoke to the industry experts - dancers, choreographers, producers, directors, and also the audience to understand where dance has vanished from these sizzling, fun numbers.How has the process changed?
Veteran director, producer, and choreographer Ahmed Khan noted how the process of creating dance numbers has dramatically changed over the years. 'It's not how it was in the early 90s. It has changed in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. The process has been very different. Earlier, there used to be music recordings, sittings, discussions of songs. Then actors used to come for recordings, sit and talk,' he shared.'Now, actors come directly on set at times. I'm not saying there's anything wrong, but I think the actors are more prepared today. They are well-versed in their homework. Before coming into the industry, they trained themselves,' reflected Khan.That preparation, however, doesn't always translate into physical choreography. It often plays out in how a shot looks, not how a dance moves.Fine line between glamour and discomfortActor Elli AvrRam admits the line between glamour and discomfort can get blurry.Do actors have an opinion when it comes to the making of dance numbers? She responds, 'In costumes? Yes, absolutely. From camera angles, though? I would say once you reach a certain position, you can be allowed to be heard.''I'm not somebody who feels that it is graceful when you suddenly end up seeing your song and there's a zoomed shot of your breast, for example. I feel it is a little bit ridiculous and not tasteful to be honest,' AvrRam expressed.From the actor's lens, artistic control is often tied to your standing in the industry. She candidly shared, 'It also depends on where you are in your career and how comfortable you are with yourself. You should also have the guts to express your opinion. Without being afraid that it will be taken in a bad way. I think that comes with a lot of integrity - to just have the guts to be you and express what you feel.' But, is it more vulgar than fun?advertisementYet, not all songs maintain this balance. Some openly invite accusations of vulgarity.Khan bluntly said, 'If it's vulgar, it's vulgar. Who makes them do it? The makers, the choreographer, or the director. They have some intention in their mind. As makers, you have to keep a thin line. And that line is on you, whether you want to cross it or not. There's nothing like unknown. When you end up teasing somebody, you can't say 'I did it unknowingly.' You are teasing. There's an effort to it and an action to it.'AvrRam, who has been part of songs like 'Harr Funn Maula' alongside actor Aamir Khan and 'Chamma-Chamma', says her comfort and craft come first. 'Personally, I have not experienced anything like this (criticism) in any of the songs I have done. I don't think I would ever do anything where I feel uncomfortable, or I think it's going in some other direction.'advertisement'I'm very opinionated when it comes to my craft. Because obviously, I want to deliver my best. I want to feel my best while I'm performing. My dance moves have to resonate with me. I've always just surrendered to the choreographer, the director, and their vision,' she stated.For her, this line isn't just about personal comfort but social responsibility.'I think in certain things, it's very important as a human being, and when you're also an artiste. It's all very individual - how deeply, sensibly, and intelligently you choose to develop. That you are a part of something, creating something that will reach out to a larger audience. There are sometimes family films. Will it make sense to portray a dance number like this in a family? Like, for children - one has to be extremely sensitive,' the actor said. Entertainment over storytelling for viralityDirector Siddharth P Malhotra admits most of these songs are made more for entertainment than storytelling. 'I don't think there is a narrative purpose it will serve. It just gives you more entertainment. A dance number, unless it's a dance-based film, will not help you in the narrative of the film.'advertisement'What helps is that it creates some kind of trend. If a dance step has become viral, people use it to dance at parties or in nightclubs. You impersonate a star's favourite step and that's pretty much the idea,' he elaborated.Malhotra sees a viral song as a tool to increase the film's reach.'Every director does not come with audience expectations. Some directors love dance-steps and are very picky about them. Some are not. Each director today is actually now telling a story and being honest with their story more than the formula of the story. The competition has gone so high that now if you don't deliver, you're gone,' the 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' director said.'You want that one step, which hopefully will become the 'Tauba-Tauba'. It will help your film gain further popularity. The viral dance step will make your film eternal. For the prosperity of the film, every director or producer would want some kind of step that sticks with the youth or with the masses in general,' he said. Do these songs help in business?Trade analyst Girish Johar echoed this sentiment. He said, 'I think that they definitely help with getting a lot of eyeballs and getting a lot of resonance. Music is a very critical element in the Indian movie ethos. Whenever a film does well, music plays a very critical role."advertisementJohar points to 'Tauba-Tauba' and the songs of 'Stree' to illustrate how music still drives audience interest.Audience verdict?From the audience's side, the reactions are more mixed.Former airline professional and mother of two, Seema Chhillar, shared: 'If a song is playing on loop at home because my kids love it, we naturally get curious about the film behind it. It often tempts us to plan a theatre outing. As a mother, I'm always mindful of what my kids are watching. When a song with suggestive choreography suddenly comes on, it puts me in an awkward spot,' she added.Naina Birla, a 26-year-old software engineer and avid Bollywood fan, said: 'As someone who loves dancing and grew up copying full dance routines from songs like 'Desi Girl' or 'Ghagra', it's disappointing. How am I supposed to recreate some of these dance moves that we see on reels today?' That tension between glamour and grace is where most dance numbers now live. Some dazzle. Some distract. Many barely dance at all. Whether you groove to them or scroll past, they aren't going offbeat anytime soon.- Ends