Thumka takeover: Bollywood's quirkiest dance moves can hypnotise the nation Away from the blaring woofers blasting out Bollywood numbers at every local gym, the charm of iconic hook steps extends beyond cardio. A league apart from stunt-laden complicated footwork (think Akshay Kumar in Chinta Ta Ta Chita), Bollywood has a knack for churning out easily replicable dance steps that are a piece of cake for every dad, didi and daadi. During our morning walks, Mr Chaddha often recounts his Jeene Ke Hai Chaar Din towel dance (not to be confused with Ranbir Kapoor in Saawaraiya) that he attempted at his college reunion despite the risk of chafing. Also, who can forget Madhuri Dixit's hook steps in Ek Do Teen (Tezaab), which practically taught all the '90s kids how to count, with the added syllabus on Madhuri's facial expressions that surely made classes for elementary teachers fairly interesting. Riding on the nostalgia of such hit numbers, Vicky Kaushal-starrer Tauba Tauba and its hook steps from his upcoming film Bad Newz have recently gone viral. The music video now has over 66 million views, as social media content creators go gaga over it. Given its momentum, the effortless choreography of the song has singlehandedly shouldered the marketing for the film by gaining widespread traction. Arguably, Mithun Chakraborty's Disco Dancer, the first Indian film to enter the 100-crore club, achieved unparalleled success because of a similar hit (who can forget a glitzy Mithun grooving to I Am A Disco Dancer) that introduced Indians to disco dancing. Ah, Bollywood dance steps — truly the heart and soul of Indian cinema. These sequences aren't mere interludes but iconic moments that etch themselves into the cultural memory, making movies unforgettable. My colleague Samarth and I were discussing these iconic dance steps, and out of nowhere, the 35-year-old broke into Hrithik Roshan's debut dance number from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. The Ek Pal Ka Jeena sequence was a game-changer that announced Hrithik's arrival in Bollywood with unmatched energy and style. Almost 25 years later, and here's Samarth, still inspired to recreate that magic. Though he didn't quite nail it, the enthusiasm speaks volumes about the lasting impact of these dance numbers. From Shah Rukh Khan's iconic pose in Mitwa (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna) to Bipasha Basu's sultry moves in Lucky Boy (Bachna Ae Haseeno), Bollywood dance numbers and their hook steps remain a timeless treasures. Whether it's about swaying in a chiffon saree dance in the Swiss Alps or starting a flash mob in the heart of a metropolis, these easy-to-remember steps remind us why we fell in love with Bollywood in the first place. |