Item number

Uncommon card · No. 147099

In Indian cinema, an item number or special song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu cinema) to describe a catchy, upbeat, often provocative dance sequence performed in a movie. These sequences predominantly feature glamorous female performers, commonly referred to as item girls, whose appearance, movements, and attire are designed to attract visual attention and heighten the sensual appeal of the film. Such item numbers are strongly associated with the objectification of women on screen, where the female body becomes the central spectacle rather than the narrative itself. The main aim of an item number is to entertain movie-goers and to lend support to the marketability of the film by being featured in trailers. They are favoured by filmmakers as they afford the opportunity to pick potential hit songs from the stocks, since they do...

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