Tamannaah Bhatia upped the glam quotient by several notches as she seductively swayed to the beats of the sensuous ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ in Stree 2. The song topped the charts, and its hook steps were replicated, spawning multiple reels on social media, the ultimate benchmark of success. From ‘Swing Zara’ in Jai Lava Kusa to ‘Kaavaala’ in Jailer, Tamannaah is the ‘it girl’ when it comes to special dance numbers in films.
She says these songs were her way of showcasing her dancing skills. Similarly, soon after her divorce from Naga Chaitanya, Samantha Ruth Prabhu scorched the screens with the raunchy ‘Oo Antava’ in Pushpa in 2021. The song had the desired impact — it topped the streaming charts and became a point of reference in the actor’s career.
These carefully curated special numbers, cleverly headlined by an A-list star who is not part of the film’s cast, is a clever marketing strategy by producers to grab eyeballs. Bollywood’s famous casting director Mukesh Chhabra says it’s a win-win for both the film and the star. “When the film’s canvas is big, you need a wider reach in all aspects.
Depending on the format and scale of the film, the special number is an interesting arrangement. A star’s appeal is enhanced and it also amplifies the film’s fan base. It’s a full package,” he explains.
Award-winning screenwriter Ishita Moitra, who wrote the screenplay for the mega-hit Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, says the narrative of the special number.