Chhaayaageet #59 - "I'll shoot the rest of this song in one night if nobody asks for any retakes."
It is a race against time. In fact, multiple races against time. Fasten your seat belts.
Race #1
The film is complete. The cuts have been made on the editing table. The reel is in the cans. But the filmmaker is not happy. Something is missing. Specifically, he is not happy with the second half. After some back and forth he makes a decision. The entire second half needs to be reshot all over again. The film's release has already been planned. That date is not moving. So he proceeds to reshoot half the film. Barely a few weeks before the release date, the new film is complete and ready.
Race #2
The filmmaker is still not happy. A lot of money has been spent. However, there isn't a signature song that can capture the audience. Need a song. Need a hit song. But only a couple of weeks to go.
A song is conceived. The composers come up with a catchy tune. The playback singers are called in for rehearsals and recording.
The female singer is constantly looking at her watch. She has a flight to catch. But everything in the music studio is going very slowly that day. She informs the composer if things could be sped up, because, you know, she has to leave for the airport. She has her own race against time.
The filmmaker overhears. Leave for the airport? Now? No way. A deadline is looming. Dates have been booked with the hero and heroine to start shooting the song at Rajkamal Studios the next day.
The heroine doesn't have any dates left. She is already working the day shift on another film. Plus she is leaving town for an outdoor schedule. Even in that case she has agreed to shoot the song in the night shift. The filmmaker only has her for six days, or rather, six nights, in order to film this song.
He closes the doors of the studio. Nobody is going anywhere until the song is recorded. You can miss your flight for all he cares.
Race #3
Rajkamal Studios. It's a 5-minute song sequence. The first 2.5 minutes take two days to film.
The choreographer, the hero, the heroine all practicing the steps diligently. They start at 7pm after the heroine arrives from her day shift from another set. They film late into the night until 2am.
Today is day 3. The filmmaker is informed that there has been some confusion over the heroine's dates. She doesn't have six days. Today is the last day she can spare. She has really no dates left. Even then she's been showing up in the evening, filming late into the night, and then show up to her other film set promptly the next morning.
Still almost half the song remaining to film. The filmmaker sighs and shrugs. Let's just drop it. Just drop the song from the film.
The choreographer is enraged. Drop the song? What do you mean drop the song? We will shoot all night if we need to, but we will finish the song today. Nobody is going anywhere until the song is filmed.
The cinematographer steps in.
"I will shoot the rest of this song in one night if nobody asks for any retakes."
2.5 minutes of song and dance without retakes. No big deal. They are all professionals. They continue filming until 5 am, with breaks and rehearsals in between, only filming when they are absolutely sure. Finally, the song is in the cans.
Race #4
A few days before the release of the film, there is a meeting with the CBFC, Censor Board of Film Certification. They do not like the song. It is sexually suggestive. The heroine is shaking her chest deliberately. They frown on things like these. How can they allow impressionable minds to be corrupted? There are two options, either get an A certificate for the film, or remove the mukhda of the song.
The filmmaker is petrified. He and his team request the choreographer.
"Could you please come along with us to meet with the Censor Board? See what they are saying. See if you can help us."
Another meeting with the CBFC, this time with the choreographer. There is a woman on the Censor Board. She explains the problem.
"You are shaking the chest deliberately. We don't like that."
"Yes. I know I am shaking the chest deliberately", the choreographer asserts. The choreographer also notices that the Censor woman is wearing high heels. She requests the woman.
Choreographer: "Ma'm just get up."
Censor: "Why?"
Choreographer: "I just want to show you something."
Censor: "What?"
Choreographer: "Please, just get up so I can show you."
It's a tense exchange of words. Censor woman obliges. What now?
Choreographer: "Just walk in front of me."
As the woman walks in her high heels, the choreographer makes her point.
Choreographer: "See, now you are shaking your hips deliberately."
Censor: "Shaking what?"
Choreographer: "Your bums are going right left right left. When you walk in high heels you have to balance yourself. So when I dance, I have to shake more to show that I am dancing. And my heroine says Dhak Dhak. From where will that sound come? Only from the heart. And where is the heart? Near the bust line. So I have to show the bust shaking Dhak Dhak. I can't show the bum shaking Dhak Dhak."
This convinces the CBFC and they drop the matter.
Saroj Khan choreographed the song Dhak Dhak for Beta (1992), music by Anand-Milind, and sung by Anuradha Paudwal and Udit Narayan. Baba Azmi was the cinematographer. He is applauded for the lighting effect that enhances the mood of the song.
This song established Madhuri Dixit as the Dhak Dhak girl. Her sizzling chemistry with Anil Kapoor set the screen on fire.
Indra Kumar, the filmmaker, requested Anuradha Paudwal to add a seductive touch to the song. So she came up with the "Ouch" expression in the beginning. That turned out to be incredibly popular.
Beta was the highest grossing film of 1992. It was nominated for 9 Filmfare awards and won 5 - Best Actor (Anil Kapoor), Best Actress (Madhuri Dixit), Best Supporting Actress (Aruna Irani), Best Female Playback Singer (Anuradha Paudwal for Dhak Dhak, her third consecutive Filmfare), and Best Choreographer (Saroj Khan for Dhak Dhak).
Ilaiyaraja's music for the Tamil song, Abbanee Tiyani, filmed on Sridevi and Cheeranjeevi, has been used for the song Dhak Dhak.
Music: Anand-Milind
Choreography: Saroj Khan
*ing: Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor
Singers: Anuradha Paudwal, Udit Narayan
Cinematography: Baba Azmi
Director: Inder Kumar
Film: Beta (1992)