A dance number is a popular term in the commercial Indian and Pakistani cinema. There is no concrete definition but is a song, with catchy lyrics, chorus dancing, gaudy styling, halla gulla and attractive lyrics and choreography. Sometimes dance numbers are also called as item numbers but item numbers differs slightly from a regular dance number, as item numbers usually have a more glamorized, seductive appeal. To me every item number is an advanced form of a dance number, but not all dance numbers are item numbers.
In our country the entertainment started from cinema. Even before the creation of Pakistan, Lahore was a major hub of Punjabi and Hindustani (Urdu/Hindi) film making in Northern British India. After 1947, Lahore became part of Pakistan and film making continued in Pakistan from Lahore. Later Karachi and Dhaka also emerged as a centre of Urdu film making. Though we differ in many accounts with our neighboring India, but when it comes to the filmi entertainment majority of the Pakistani audience likes the entertainment formula of Bollywood. So it was no surprise that the style of Urdu film making in Pakistan was on the same patterns which were laid by Bollywood.
Dance number or item number is an essential part of Bollywood entertainment formula and in recent years many Bollywood item numbers have been very popular in Pakistan like Munni, Sheela to name a few. Pakistani Urdu films of 60’s and 70’s regularly have a dance number shot in a disco club (pronounced as kee-lub in our films) while Punjabi films mostly have a mujra dance number. Urdu and Punjabi film making eventually come to an end in Lahore till mid 2000. From past two three years film maker of Karachi have revived the urdu cinema of Pakistan by providing back to back successful films and thus Karachi is emerging as a new hub of Urdu film making.
2015 has been a successful year for Urdu cinema, where many Urdu films mainly produced in Karachi proved successful. The common thing in all these commercial films was dance numbers. Few of the dance numbers easily fall into the category of item numbers due to their treatment.
In our country the entertainment started from cinema. Even before the creation of Pakistan, Lahore was a major hub of Punjabi and Hindustani (Urdu/Hindi) film making in Northern British India. After 1947, Lahore became part of Pakistan and film making continued in Pakistan from Lahore. Later Karachi and Dhaka also emerged as a centre of Urdu film making. Though we differ in many accounts with our neighboring India, but when it comes to the filmi entertainment majority of the Pakistani audience likes the entertainment formula of Bollywood. So it was no surprise that the style of Urdu film making in Pakistan was on the same patterns which were laid by Bollywood.
Dance number or item number is an essential part of Bollywood entertainment formula and in recent years many Bollywood item numbers have been very popular in Pakistan like Munni, Sheela to name a few. Pakistani Urdu films of 60’s and 70’s regularly have a dance number shot in a disco club (pronounced as kee-lub in our films) while Punjabi films mostly have a mujra dance number. Urdu and Punjabi film making eventually come to an end in Lahore till mid 2000. From past two three years film maker of Karachi have revived the urdu cinema of Pakistan by providing back to back successful films and thus Karachi is emerging as a new hub of Urdu film making.
2015 has been a successful year for Urdu cinema, where many Urdu films mainly produced in Karachi proved successful. The common thing in all these commercial films was dance numbers. Few of the dance numbers easily fall into the category of item numbers due to their treatment.
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