The song, a homage to director Karan Johar's forever muse Sanjay Leela Bhansali, originally featured Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Singh and Chowdhury are not only taking on a herculean task by attempting the incredibly fluid and articulate dance, but they are also competing with two fabulous female dancers.
The two men wear the most well-regarded kathak costumes-a billowing angrakha and churidar-the gender-neutral costume of Mughal India where kathak was the preferred dance form. This is the exact moment when the two men, this sequence, and this film drove home the point that men could do traditionally feminine things and still be themselves.
Contrast this scene with another just less than an hour before. Chowdhury's Chandon is asked to perform at a traditionally loud Punjabi wedding, where his grace is greeted with embarrassing catcalls instead of a worthy applause. Then, the film grows and we grow up.
This story is from the August 20, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the August 20, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
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