Aaja Nachle
Encyclopedia
The film's soundtrack was released on 18 October 2007 composed by Salim-Sulaiman
and lyrics by Jaideep Sahni
and Piyush Mishra
. A few songs from the final sequence of the movie have not been included on the soundtrack including "Yeh Ishq".
The title song "Aaja Nachle" is found to be an almost note-by-note copy of a much older Bengali folk song "Dada Paye Pori Re" made popular by Ansuman Roy. No legal action had yet been taken.
The film's music was well received. This soundtrack debuted at number 9 for the first week. The song "O Re Piya" was later used in the 2009 Malaysian movie Talentime
.
from the Hindustan Times
wrote, "Madhuri Dixit has a cool time. Konkona is overacting while Kunal Kapoor is flustered", while Rajeev Masand
from CNN-IBN noted, "Madhuri is the one and only star of the film. Konkona Sen Sharma is nothing short of fantastic. Her greatest strength is that she isn't afraid of making a fool of herself and she doesn't worry about being laughed at. As a result, her performance in Aaja Nachle is fearless and uninhibited." Madhuri was nominated for the best actress award at the 54th Filmfare awards in 2008.
on the day of its release over alleged casteist remarks. Dia, the character played by Madhuri Dixit, sings the lines Mohalle mein kaisi maara-mar hai; bole mochi bhi khud ko sunar hai ( translated "There is chaos in the neighborhood, even the Mochi (Cobbler) calls himself a Sunar (Goldsmith)". Dalit
groups said the line implied that Mochis (cobblers, the Jatav
caste - a caste of cobblers) were inferior to Sunar
s (goldsmiths, name of a caste of goldsmiths).
Punjab
and Haryana
followed suit, banning the film the next day. However the ban was later lifted in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, after a written apology from the producers and the removal of the disputed lyrics (bole mochi bhi khud ko sunar hai) in the title song. The lyrics were replaced by other words (mere dar pe deewano ki bahaar hai). However, a ban was imposed in the city of Patna
on 2 December 2007. The issue was also raised in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha
) by RPI
member Ramdas Athawale who sought a ban by the government for hurting Dalit sentiments, but Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi
said that it was the responsibility of state governments to take any such action.
after a long time comparing it to the classics like Geet Gaya Patharon Ne
, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli
and Navarang. It was aired on Sony Entertainment Television
in the year 2008.
Salim-Sulaiman
Salim Merchant And Sulaiman Merchant are a musical duo of brothers, born and brought up in Bhuj, Kutch, India. They belong to Ismaili Muslim family and are inspired by their father Sadruddin Merchant, who used to lead Ismaili Scouts Orchestra in India..Steeped in a family tradition of music as the...
and lyrics by Jaideep Sahni
Jaideep Sahni
Jaideep Sahni is an Indian screenwriter, songwriter and producer, most known for screenplays of films like, Company , Khosla Ka Ghosla and Chak De! India . He is currently on contract with Yash Raj Films...
and Piyush Mishra
Piyush Mishra
Piyush Mishra is an Indian film and theatre actor, music director, lyricist, singer, scriptwriter.-Early life and education:He spent his early life in Gwalior, where he received his education...
. A few songs from the final sequence of the movie have not been included on the soundtrack including "Yeh Ishq".
The title song "Aaja Nachle" is found to be an almost note-by-note copy of a much older Bengali folk song "Dada Paye Pori Re" made popular by Ansuman Roy. No legal action had yet been taken.
The film's music was well received. This soundtrack debuted at number 9 for the first week. The song "O Re Piya" was later used in the 2009 Malaysian movie Talentime
Talentime
Talentime is a 2009 Malaysian drama film written and directed by Yasmin Ahmad. Yasmin, in her blog, has described it "as a story full of joy and pain, hope and despair, a host of beautifully-written songs, and rich, rich characters"...
.
| Track # | Song | Singer(s) | Duration | Picturised on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Aaja Nachle" | Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs.... |
5:04 | Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... |
| 2 | "Ishq Hua Hi Hua" | Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films... , Shreya Ghoshal |
4:24 | Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi cinema.-Career:Kapoor began his career as an assistant director on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Aks. He began his acting career training under theatre legend Barry John. He continued his theatre career with Motley, a theater group run by... , Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her... |
| 3 | "Show Me Your Jalwa" | Salim Merchant, Kailash Kher, Richa Sharma | 4:13 | Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... and other cast members |
| 4 | "O Re Piya" | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | 6:19 | Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... and other dance classmates with Steve taking pictures |
| 5 | "Soniye Mil Ja" | Sukhwinder Singh Sukhwinder Singh Sukhwinder Singh, Born as Sukhi Singh Lubana is an Indian singer best known for working as Bollywood playback artist. Singh is famous for singing "Chaiyya Chaiyya" for which he won the Best Male Playback Award at the 1999 Filmfare Awards. The song, from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se, was composed... , Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs.... , Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... |
3:37 | Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... , Vinay Pathak Vinay Pathak Vinay Pathak is an Indian actor and a theatre person born and raised in Bhojpur, Bihar. He is known for his great Comic timing and as a revolution in Indian Cinema along with Ranvir Shorey, Rajat Kapur, Abhay Deol, who are tagged as actors of a new genre... |
| 6 | "Iss Pal" | Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films... , Shreya Ghoshal |
3:59 | Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi cinema.-Career:Kapoor began his career as an assistant director on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Aks. He began his acting career training under theatre legend Barry John. He continued his theatre career with Motley, a theater group run by... , Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her... |
| 7 | "Koi Patthar Se Na Maare" | Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films... , Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs.... |
4:04 | Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... , Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi cinema.-Career:Kapoor began his career as an assistant director on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Aks. He began his acting career training under theatre legend Barry John. He continued his theatre career with Motley, a theater group run by... , Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her... |
| 8 | "Dance With Me" | Sonia Saigal | 3:39 | Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of... |
| 9 | "Aaja Nachle (Reprise)" | Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs.... , Marianne D'Cruz |
3:28 | All the cast members |
Box office
Aaja Nachle opened to a poor response. The domestic performance of the film was below average mostly everywhere. Overseas the response was lukewarm as well.Reviews
The film was received with mixed reception from both critics and audiences. The lead performances received mixed reviews. Khalid MohammedKhalid Mohammed
Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editor, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the Hindustan Times and was the lead editor for Filmfare magazine...
from the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
wrote, "Madhuri Dixit has a cool time. Konkona is overacting while Kunal Kapoor is flustered", while Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
from CNN-IBN noted, "Madhuri is the one and only star of the film. Konkona Sen Sharma is nothing short of fantastic. Her greatest strength is that she isn't afraid of making a fool of herself and she doesn't worry about being laughed at. As a result, her performance in Aaja Nachle is fearless and uninhibited." Madhuri was nominated for the best actress award at the 54th Filmfare awards in 2008.
Controversy
The movie was banned in Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
on the day of its release over alleged casteist remarks. Dia, the character played by Madhuri Dixit, sings the lines Mohalle mein kaisi maara-mar hai; bole mochi bhi khud ko sunar hai ( translated "There is chaos in the neighborhood, even the Mochi (Cobbler) calls himself a Sunar (Goldsmith)". Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
groups said the line implied that Mochis (cobblers, the Jatav
Jatav
Jatav , also called Jatia, Jatba in the Jammu region Jatoi, is the largest tribe of the Chamar caste in India.-Origin and etymology:...
caste - a caste of cobblers) were inferior to Sunar
Sunar
Sunar is a Hindu caste in India and Nepal referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths...
s (goldsmiths, name of a caste of goldsmiths).
Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
followed suit, banning the film the next day. However the ban was later lifted in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, after a written apology from the producers and the removal of the disputed lyrics (bole mochi bhi khud ko sunar hai) in the title song. The lyrics were replaced by other words (mere dar pe deewano ki bahaar hai). However, a ban was imposed in the city of Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
on 2 December 2007. The issue was also raised in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
) by RPI
Republican Party of India (Athvale)
The Republican Party of India is a political party in India, a splinter group of the old Ambedkarite Republican Party of India. The president of the party is Ramdas Athvale....
member Ramdas Athawale who sought a ban by the government for hurting Dalit sentiments, but Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi
Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi
Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Raiganj of West Bengal and is a member of the Indian National Congress party.-Career:Dasmunsi was President of Youth Congress in West Bengal from 1970 to 1971...
said that it was the responsibility of state governments to take any such action.
Subsequent impact
Although the movie was not received too well at the box office, it went on to become a favorite with a segment of the audience, notably Madhuri fans. The title song "Aaja Nachle" became a favorite at clubs and marriages. The movie is regarded as a pure dance filmDance film
Dance Film is the creation of choreography that exists only in the medium of film/video. At its best, DanceFilm uses filming and editing techniques to create twists in the plotline, multiple layers of reality, and emotional/psychological depth....
after a long time comparing it to the classics like Geet Gaya Patharon Ne
Geet Gaya Patharon Ne
Geet Gaya Patharon Ne is a 1964 film produced and directed by V. Shantaram. The film marked the debut of V. Shantaram's daughter Rajshree and Jeetendra. The film's music was composed by Ramlal who gave a number of melodious tunes to the songs penned by Hasrat Jaipuri....
, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli
Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli
Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli is a 1971 Bollywood romance film directed by Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram , with Sandhya and Abhijeet as leads, along with Vatsala Deshmukh and Dina Pathak.-Cast:*Abhijeet ... Rajkumar Kailash...
and Navarang. It was aired on Sony Entertainment Television
Sony Entertainment Television (India)
This article is about the SET channel in India. For the Indian version broadcasted worldwide, see Sony Entertainment Television Asia.Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in India. It was launched in October 1996 and is owned by...
in the year 2008.