For this week I thought I would change it up a little and instead of choosing a favorite scene, I would write about a perfect song to introduce characters in a film. There were many I could choose from, but for this week I am shining the light on Rani’s and Abhishek’s entrances in Bunty Aur Babli with the song ‘Dhadak Dhadak’.
The Scene: The picturization for the catchy upbeat song ‘Dhadak Dhadak’ shows both Abhishek and Rani in their hometowns. You first meet Abhishek’s Rakesh soon to be Bunty in town. Then the song shows him in the market and on a train, all the while singing about going away from there. You learn that Rakesh is already a bit of a con artist. Then we meet Rani’s Vimmi aka Babli in her hometown, and from the very beginning you can tell that Vimmi loves clothes and her looks. We also see her in the market, at home and dancing in the fields while a train goes behind them. Like Rakesh, it shows her wanting more. At the end they both are gazing out into the world to where they want to go.
What’s So Special: This is a perfect song to introduce these characters in the film. As Amitabh says in the beginning: “Yeh world hai na, world, isme do tarah ke log hote hain. Ek jo saari zindagi ek hi kaam karte hain, aur dusre jo ek hi zindagi mein saare kaam kar dete hain.” (There are two kinds of people in the world. One, the kind that just does one thing all their lives and the kind that does just about everything in one life.) With this song we see that both characters desperately want to be part of the second group. Both are singing of their desire to one day leave and become what they know they can be, someone who everyone knows. It shows the longing of Abhishek’s Rakesh/Bunty to be away from his small town and the yearning of Rani’s Vimmi/Babli to be a star and have more than she does in her village. As Rakesh says, his name will be written big and bold in the sky. Vimmi sings that she will be the most beautiful among the stars. It is filmed wonderfully, and one part that stands out is Rani looking gorgeous in a blue-mirrored outfit dancing in rose filled water. It also has some amazing shots of both of them (especially Abhi) riding on a train and dancing … outside, on the front and on the roof. It is a great song and gives you so much information on who these two characters are and what they want. Full of energy, it is the perfect picturization for ‘Dhadak Dhadak’.
