Item Quotient

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: the theatres to see SRK and Hrithik Ros-han do their act in Krazzy 4.

“The overseas audience knows that an item track by a star does not amount to the star having a full-fledged role in the film. Incorporating a big name in an item track (a typical Bollywood catchphrase) helps in bringing visibility and attention to a film in the form of high airplay on television and radio,” remarks Tanuj Garg, head, UK & Europe, Studio 18. “One can argue that that translates into a higher box-office taking!” he adds.

In 2008, there are a slew of item numbers coming up—Katrina Kaif in Ashtavinayak’s Blue—she is apparently charging a crore plus, but no one will confirm it—Sophie Chaudhary in Sanjay Gadhvi’s Kidnap, Urmila Matondkar in Karzzzz (remake of Ghai’s film), Shetty in Dostana and so forth.

Says Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision’s Mehta, “In Kidnap, we have Sophie Chaudhary performing a song which is not purely an item number. It takes the story forward and it is also a kind of celebration song as far as the film is concerned.” As a production house, Mehta says, it doesn’t merely put item numbers for the sake of putting it. “Putting item numbers without any reason can also sometimes affect the film.”