- Saroj Khan said item songs appeal mainly to front-bench audiences in commercial Bollywood films
- Saroj compared item songs to pickles, essential for audience enjoyment and film success
- She acknowledged item songs cater to public taste to ensure films perform well in theaters
In an old interview, choreographer Saroj Khan spoke about the role of "item songs" in Bollywood and the audiences who embraced them. She was filming the number Aankh Ladale with Shweta Menon when she shared her view of how commercial films are shaped by public taste.
What Saroj Khan Said
Talking to Lehran TV and speaking warmly about her dancer, Saroj said, "Artist Shweta Menon mere sath bohot baad kaam karrhi hai, achchha nach rahi hai and item song bar ka dance, and it will hit the front benchers."
("Artist Shweta Menon is working with me after a long time; she is dancing well, and it's a bar dance and this time the item number will appeal to the front-benchers.")
When she was asked directly whether an item song is essential, Saroj offered a crisp analogy rooted in everyday life, "Ji haan, ajkal film front benchers ko chahiye. Aap khaana khate hai aur aapke sath achar na ho, aap khaana khate kya? Nahi. Kya kare abhi? Public ke taste ke uppar chalna padhta hai na. Picture jo pass karwani, ghar pe baith ke thodi dekhna hai."
("Yes, these days films need front-benchers. When you eat food without pickles, do you enjoy it the same way? No. What can we do? We have to go by the public's taste. If you want your film to pass muster, it can't be made just to be watched at home.")
When asked about whether such songs boost business, Saroj was candid about who buys the tickets: "Kuch log toh aate hai dekhne, maybe high-class log nahi aaye lekin front benchers toh aate hai and we are here for front benchers actually nahi toh hum kaunsa aapne ghar pe baith ke nachte hai."
("Some people do come to watch—maybe the high-class crowd doesn't—but the front-benchers definitely come, and we are here for them; otherwise, we wouldn't be dancing at home.")
The song Aankh Ladale was for the film Vadh (2002), a thriller starring Nana Patekar.
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