Item Songs

What is the common element between ‘Chamma Chamma’ and ‘Khallas’? No prizes for guessing the answer! Yes, they both are very popular songs that also helped in the movie earning great revenues. But more than anything else, both songs are known as ‘Item Songs’ in popular bollywood potboilers. Item songs did not exist in old age. But need of creativity and popularity of such songs gave rise to this phenomenon. Most of the movies released during last one decade have one or two item songs. These songs not only help in popularizing the movies but also help in pulling the crowds to the theater.

‘Chamma Chamma’ got so popular that the director of famous English movie, Moulin Rouge came over to Mumbai to acquire the rights of the song. This song gave a tremendous boost to the concept of items songs. Majority of the run of the mill stuff movies give us colorful items songs picturized in glamorous locations. Item songs opened a new revenue stream for movie industry.
When talking about item songs, many such songs come to our mind. Songs like ‘babuji jara dheere chalo’, ‘One love’, ‘Chaiyan Chaiyan’, ‘Hello’ etc remind us of talented actors dancing on groovy tunes. Many non-stream actors have found their niche in item songs category. It has also given a new lease of life to upcoming singers from far flung places. Item songs are there to stay in bollywood movies.