Now 'item song' to jazz up animated film

Mumbai, May 28 (IANS) Even if irrelevant to the story, the tantalising item song has become integral to Bollywood movies these days. So much so that it is now spicing up the make-believe world of animation.

When Pune-based Anushvi Productions, which is producing the animated mythological 'Dashavatar' in association with Phoebus Creations Media Pvt. Ltd., felt that the movie was looking a bit 'dry', director Bhavik Thakore suggested an item song to add mirth to it.

But he argues that it was a cinematic consideration more than a commercial one.

'The situation where a beautiful maiden (Mohini) mesmerises the demons and lulls them into a sense of complacency lends itself to the song, which has all the trappings of an item number,' Thakore told IANS from Pune.

However, Bhavik chose to describe the song, added as an afterthought, 'as a fun number'. 'To call it an item number would be a bit far-fetched, given the contemporary meaning of the phrase,' he laughed.

Scheduled for release next month, 'Dashavatar' is based on the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, but to add a modern touch to it, the might of the Lord is seen through the eyes of two children, Aarti and Ajay.

The movie was completed at the Phoebus animation studio in Pune. It took him almost two years to make.

'Apart from mixing done at the Yash Raj Film Studio, the movie was completed with local technical and animation experts in Pune. For an animation movie, we have made it on a grand scale to appeal to all sections of the audience, not just the children,' he added.

While Shatrughan Sinha does the narration in 'Dashavatar', actors Sachin Khedekar and Shreyas Talpade have lent their voices to some of the key characters of the movie along with Tom Alter and Ashish Vidyarthi.

Debutant music director Anand Kurekar has set to tune the lyrics penned by Sandeep Khare. Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, Kunal Gunjawala and Shreya Ghosal have rendered the songs.