The varied shades of Holi in Bollywood movies: From the shy exuberance of Nineteen Forties Aurat to Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff’s dance off in War

Deepika Padukone isn’t simply celebrating Holi in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’s “Balam Pichkari”, the music additionally marks the transition of her ‘chashmish’ Naina right into a assured lady who is able to tackle life full throttle. Sholay’s “Holi Ke Din” is sort of a ticking time bomb, able to explode as Gabbar Singh’s henchmen assault Ramgarh. While the occasions in Damini’s Holi sequence adjustments your entire storyline, Shah Rukh Khan’s obsession reaches new heights in Darr’s “Ang Se Ang.”
Holi has been introduced in lots of shades and hues in our movies, and from the time India began making movies. From being a second to rejoice to introducing a serious twist or letting ardour have its play, Holi has been an integral a part of Bollywood narrative gadget for many years. However, because the instances adjustments, its illustration modified as properly.
Nargis and Raj Kumar in a nonetheless from Mother India’s music “Holi Aayi Re Kanhai”.
The earliest Holi portrayal in Bollywood that we are able to enumerate listed below are “Jamuna Tat Shyam” from Aurat (1940) and “Daaro Re Rang” from Jogan (1950). The movies from the black-and-white period largely depicted the pageant in lengthy photographs, in its full glory with your entire forged actually taking part in with colors. But did it add something to the plot? Rarely.
Dilip Kumar in “Khelo Rang” from Aan (1953), nevertheless, introduced a brand new color to Holi – actors prancing round and ladies giving flirtatious appears to be like. The lengthy photographs gave technique to shut ones, similar to the growing proximity between the actors. We obtained a real depiction of the pageant’s conventional roots. Soon sufficient, long-distance flirting was changed by refined romance, like in “Holi Aayi Re Kanhai” from Mother India (1958). The flashbacks of Raj Kumar romancing Nargis was an exquisite breather within the in any other case intense drama of the movie.

My reminiscence of Holi goes again to Navrang music “Are Ja Re Hat Natkhat” (1959). It grew to become outstanding as a result of actor Sandhya performed the twin position of each Radha and Shyam. A stupendous dance sequence, which continues to be a benchmark of creativity to today.
Bollywood stored its date with the pageant of colors in one more memorable sequence in Kati Patang (1970). Apart from “Aaj Na Chhodenge” discovering a everlasting place in our playlists, it was additionally progressive in the best way it handled how the society checked out a widow on the time. Asha Parekh’s Madhavi is holding again her want given the conventions of the society, however Rajesh Khanna’s Kamal isn’t able to budge. Holi was gaining prominence to take the story ahead, a lot that Phagun (1973) fully revolved round Holi. What occurs in its music “Piya Sang Khelo Hori” adjustments the course of the story and the lives of its characters.
Asha Parekh’s restrained wishes as a widow in 1970 movie Kati Patang had been proven throughout “Aaj Na Chhodenge” music.
Our movies started opening doorways for its songs to seamlessly circulate into the plot. Going ahead, if we tried to edit out Holi, the screenplay would stay hanging. Just as we noticed in Sholay’s “Holi Ke Din” (1975) which got here as a aid amid the excessive octane dacoit drama. Hema Malini and Dharmendra get drenched within the blast of colors, whereas Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan realise a spark of their silence. It was additionally a prelude to the large story twist about to occur, which elevated the tempo of the film. By the top of it, Gabbar Singh’s “Holi kab hai?” discovered forex among the many followers, and eased us into the climax of the movie.
Giving a brand new dimension had been Amitabh and Rekha once they shed all inhibitions in “Rang Barse”. For the viewers, Silsila (1981) was an actual reflection of the reel life couple, the music was additionally a serious breakthrough within the iconic movie. It was no extra about romance or taboos. It was about love and solely love, even when it meant difficult the so known as societal norms.
Holi continued to be a plot twist in movies of the 80s and 90s, together with Damini (1993). Holi scenes stored getting intense, In the Rajkumar Santoshi movie, Meenakshi Seshadri witnesses the rape of her maid by her brother-in-law and his pals. Her screams for assist get suppressed amid Holi’s loud festivities.
Films like Silsila (1981) and Damini (1993) had plot altering Holi sequences.
By Nineteen Nineties, Bollywood started displaying the bolder facet of Holi. By now, the depiction of harmless love was passé. Rather filmmakers swore by motion, assault and worry. And taking it to newer heights was Shah Rukh Khan flaunting his menacing avatar in Darr (1993). In the midst of his ‘K-K-K-Kiran’, got here “Ang Se Ang Lagana”. Playing a stalker, the actor makes use of the anonymity allowed by Holi to trespasses into Juhi Chawla’s protected zone and smear color on her. Creepy a lot? An necessary chase sequence adopted between SRK and Sunny Deol.
The canvas of Holi was getting greater, exuberant and loud. By late Nineteen Nineties it grew to become a plot level within the movie when your entire forged marked the pageant collectively. Now, the way it occurred was the job of the writers. We had been returning to the celebratory mode.
Shah Rukh Khan performed a menacing stalker in Darr.
The viewers’s love for festivities grew to become so robust that the 2000s stored Holi majorly for music and dance. This was the 90s era adapting to the brand new millennium, embracing dance ground tradition. Community Holi was gaining prominence, and so was the demand for frolic and enjoyable. Both Mohabbatein (2000) and Baghban (2003) had chartbuster Holi songs – “Soni Soni” and “Hori Khele Raghuveera” giving us a second of vibrancy, even when it meant them probably not including something to the plot. No, not even Shah Rukh’s plea to Amitabh Bachchan, to neglect their variations was of any relevance to Mohabbatein.

Gladly sufficient, folks songs once more got here into image by early 2010s. Tracks like “Balam Pichkari” and “Badri Ki Dulhania” fused collectively conventional Holi songs with new-age music association. And as they are saying, folks can elevate something, and we obtained two hit songs in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). It was a great way to introduce the brand new era with its roots.
Lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya, within the making video of “Balam Pichkari’, said, “It was more of a fun, teasing and flirting song. That’s how we arrived it the hook which is very desi hook, to be precise – “Balam pichkari jo tune mujhe maari…”
Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s dance off was set round a Holi music in War (2019). (Photo: YRF)
Most not too long ago, when Bollywood’s greatest dancers – Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, had been introduced in for a dance off in War (2019), the makers ditched a Hip Hop or acrobatics and opted for a Holi sequence in “Jai Jai Shivshankar”.
The journey of Holi in Bollywood absolutely proves that we can not take the pageant out of our movies. From being the go-to music scenario to a catalyst of change, Holi has been, and continues to be, distinguished. How will the brand new decade form Holi sequences in our motion pictures? We are awaiting to see, with a splash of color.