Return of the mujra

By FNN | February 13, 2012, 5:25am IST

While Kareena Kapoor is dreaming of performing a mujra on Rekha's 'Saalam-e-Ishq'...

Bebo whose favourite mujra is the veteran actress' evergreen track, had to convince beau Saif Ali Khan to include a dance number in their upcoming spy thriller

A mujra number in a bond-like spy thriller may seem to be a little out of place, but Kareena Kapoor had her own reasons to convince the makers of Agent Vinod for it. The actress apparently enjoys the dance form a lot, and more importantly wanted to pay tribute to Rekha, the queen of mujras.

Says Kareena, "Mujra has its own charm which comes from the music and the shayari. My favourite mujra is Rekha's Salaam-e-Ishq from Muqaddar Ka Sikander. I feel lucky that I got a chance to even try out something like that."

The actress sat up for nights watching all of Rekha's dance numbers. Says the source, "When Kareena decided to do the mujra there was no one she could think of but Rekha to watch and learn from. She used to sit and watch her songs from Umrao Jaan to understand the moves and expressions. She was keen that she shouldn't go wrong."

Saif Ali Khan who previously did not want to include an item number in this film just for the sake of it says, "Sriram Raghavan and I were sure that we did not want just another club number. The film has enough such sequences; so we wanted to make this song a little different and I think Kareena has managed to pull it off pretty well."

With her earlier Chammak Challo becoming a chartbuster, we wonder if this track too will climb up the music charts.

...Archrival Priyanka Chopra might actually get to replicate those steps in real

Buzz is that the scales are currently tipped in favour of PC for doing the dance number in an upcoming film

It is looking like mujra, that was once made famous in Bollywood films by the likes of Rekha and Madhuri Dixit, is all set to reoccupy its once glorious presence on the silver screen. And buzz is that Priyanka Chopra is being considered for a mujra number in Ekta Kapoor's next production, Shootout At Wadala.

The current apparent lack of training in classical dancing in no way deterred Ekta from coming up with the idea of "the most lavish Mujra ever filmed in a Hindi film".

While director Sanjay Gupta says that the last really graceful and convincing Mujra was by Madhuri Dixit in Devdas, he was not willing to confirm PC's act.

Instead, he says, "I'm not revealing our dancer's name. But yes, Priyanka among the current A-listers is an able dancer." Both Ekta and Sanjay want an actress who is well trained in classical dance to do the act. Sanjay points out, "We want to recreate the Kotha culture of 1979 in its minutest detail. We've given Pyar kiya to darna kya and Salaam-e-ishq."

Meanwhile...

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is all set to revive his ambitious project Heera Mandi with Rani Mukherji in the lead. The filmmaker had previously put the project on hold primarily because he wasn't getting an actress suitable for the role.

Rani Mukerji in Mangal Pandey

Says a source, "The idea was conceptualised two years back and he had spoken about it to a few actors. In fact there was talk of Kareena signing on for the role." Heera Mandi is a red-light district located in Lahore and is famous for its dancers and musicians.

Rani will essay the role of a courtesan in the film. Adds the source, "It's a film that is very close to Sanjay's heart and he believes no one but Rani can pull this off."

Our Top 10 mujras

Chalte Chalte (Meenakumari- Pakeezah)

Nazar Lagi Raja (Nalini Jaywant- Kala Paani)

In Aakhon Ki Masti (Rekha- Umrao Jaan)

Inhi Logon Ne (Pakeezah)

Ab Aage Teri Marzi (Vyjayantimala- Devdas)

Kaahe Chhed Mohe (Madhuri Dixit- Devdas)

Agar Dilbar Ki Ruswai (Mumtaz- Khilona)

Dil Cheez Kya Hain (Rekha- Umrao Jaan)

Mein Vaari Vaari (Rani Mukherji- Mangal Pandey)

Maar Daala (Maduri- Devdas)

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