Bollywood titles: Now a song, now a film

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NEW DELHI - Lack of creativity or too much inspiration, call it what you will, but too many Bollywood filmmakers are referring to contemporary songs for the titles of their films.

A string of forthcoming films like “Kajraare”, “Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai”, “It’s My Life”, “Allah Ke Banday”, “Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara”, “Anjaana Anjaani” and “Dil Toh Bacha Hai Ji” have their titles inspired by popular Bollywood numbers.

While “Kajraare” takes inspiration from the Aishwarya Rai-chartbuster in “Bunty Aur Babli”, “Banda Ye Bindaas Hai” is a direct lift from the song to which Amitabh Bachchan and Nandita Das waltz in “Aks”.

“Allah Ke Banday” from “Waisa Bhi Hota Hai - Part II”, an evergreen hit by singer Kailash Kher, is now also the title of Farouque Kabir’s film that stars Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni and Sharman Joshi.

The title for Zoya Akhtar’s next, “Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara”, has been picked from the title track of her brother Farhan’s hit film “Rock On!!” Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin form the cast of the movie.

Madhur Bhandarkar’s first romantic venture is titled “Dil Toh Bacha Hai Ji”, which seems to be inspired by a heartwarming track in “Ishqiya”.

And similarly, the title of “Anjaana Anjaani”, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, is based on the words from a song in “Yuva”.

The Deols’ next, “Yamla Pagla Deewana”, is again a hit number picturised on Dharmendra in the movie “Pratigya”. Even Abhishek’s “Dum Maro Dum” and “Guzaarish” are a take off from popular songs.

“It’s My Life” is also a famous English number by international rocker Jon Bon Jovi.

Even “Bummm Bumm Bole” and “Chance Pe Dance” that have already been released this year have been named after two widely known songs - the fun number “Bum Bum Bole” from “Taare Zameen Par” and “Chance Pe Dance” from Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”.

In less than a few years from their release, songs are being readily transformed into titles for films.

Earlier too, filmmakers have looked at old songs for their movie titles.

Ace filmmaker Karan Johar picked the title of both his hit films - “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” and now “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna” are taken from lyrics written by writer-filmmaker Amit Khanna, who is now the chairman of Reliance BIG Entertainment.

The former was a phrase out of the song “Uthe sab ke kadam” from the film “Baaton Baaton Mein”, and “Kabhi alvidaa na kehna” was a line from Khanna’s song “Chalte chalte mere yeh geet yaad rakhna” in the film “Chalte Chalte”.

Even Aditya Chopra’s mega hit “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” still running in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir, was a popular line from the song “Le jayenge, le jayenge dilwale dulhania le jayenge” picturised on Shashi Kapoor and Mumtaz in the film “Chor Machaye Shor”.