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Aaja Nachle

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Aaja Nachle
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAnil Mehta
Written byJaideep Sahni
Story byAditya Chopra
Produced byAditya Chopra
Starring
CinematographyK. U. Mohanan
Edited byRitesh Soni
Music bySalim–Sulaiman
Production
company
Distributed byYash Raj Films
Release date
  • 30 November 2007 (2007-11-30)
Running time
146 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Aaja Nachle (transl. Come, let's dance) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language dance film directed by Anil Mehta in his directorial debut, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The film stars Madhuri Dixit in her first acting role since Devdas (2002), alongside Konkona Sen Sharma, Jugal Hansraj, and Kunal Kapoor.

Aaja Nachle was released theatrically in India and the United States on 30 November 2007.[1] It received mixed reviews from critics and was declared a "flop" by Box Office India.[2]

At the 53rd Filmfare Awards, Aaja Nachle received two nominations: Best Actress (Dixit) and Best Female Playback Singer (Sunidhi Chauhan for "Aaja Nachle").

Plot

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A dancer from New York, Dia returns to her hometown Shamli after learning that her former dance teacher, Makarand "Masterji" Shukla, is seriously ill. She arrives after his death and discovers that the Ajanta Theatre, where Masterji trained local performers, is threatened with demolition. The local authorities consider the theatre a waste of valuable land.[3]

With the help of Doctor, the caretaker of Ajanta, Dia decides to save the theatre by staging a theatrical production there. She is given two months to prove that the theatre is still important to the community, and all the performers must come from Shamli. The residents initially respond with mistrust and ridicule because Dia had left the town years earlier.[3][4]

Dia recruits a group of inexperienced local performers, including Imran, a low-level enforcer; Anokhi, a local tomboy; Chaudhary Om Singh, a former MLA; Mohan Sharma, a tea-stall owner; Mr. Chojar, a government official; Sanjeev Mehta, an insurance agent; and Dhankuber, a town vagabond. The group must learn to work together despite their different personalities and backgrounds.[3]

During rehearsals, the performers struggle with the production and frequently argue with one another. Dia faces opposition from local political figures and a powerful contractor who want the theatre demolished. She must also overcome the townspeople’s cynicism and regain their trust.[4]

As rehearsals continue, the performers gradually gain confidence and discipline. The production brings together residents from different social backgrounds and revives interest in the abandoned theatre. Dia also confronts the memories and relationships connected to her past in Shamli.[3][4]

On the night of the performance, the troupe stages the completed production at the Ajanta Theatre. The townspeople gather to watch the show, and the performers demonstrate that the theatre remains an important part of the community. Their performance helps Dia prevent the demolition of Ajanta and restore its place as a centre of local culture.[3][4]

Cast

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Controversy

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Upon its release, Aaja Nachle faced controversy over a line in the film's title song. The lyric, "Bole mochi bhi khud ko sunar hai" (Even the cobbler calls himself a goldsmith) sparked anger from Dalit groups who viewed the song as comparing lower-class communities with high-class communities.[5]

The film was subsequently removed from screening in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab and the leader of the Indian Justice Party, Udit Raj, held a demonstration in New Delhi.[6][7] Eventually, Yash Raj Films apologized and deleted the lyrics.

Music

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Aaja Nachle
Studio album by
Salim–Sulaiman
Released
16 August 2007 (India)
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length38:45
LabelYRF Music
ProducerAditya Chopra
Salim–Sulaiman chronology
Chak De India
(2007)		 Aaja Nachle
(2007)		 Roadside Romeo
(2008)

The film's music was composed by Salim–Sulaiman, with lyrics written by Jaideep Sahni and Piyush Mishra. It was released on 1 January 2004 by YRF Music.[8][9]

The album debuted at number nine on Indian music charts in its opening week.[10]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Aaja Nachle"Piyush MishraSunidhi Chauhan5:04
2."Ishq Hua"Jaideep SahniSonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal4:24
3."Show Me Your Jalwa"Jaideep SahniKailash Kher, Richa Sharma, Salim Merchant4:13
4."O Re Piya"Jaideep SahniRahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sadhana Sargam6:20
5."Soniye Mil Ja"Piyush MishraSukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Madhuri Dixit3:37
6."Is Pal"Piyush MishraSonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal3:59
7."Koi Patthar Se Na Maare"Piyush MishraSonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan4:04
8."Dance With Me"Jaideep SahniSonia Saigal3:39
9."Aaje Nachle (Reprise)"Piyush MishraSunidhi Chauhan, Marianne D'Cruz3:28

Reception

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Box office

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Aaja Nachle opened to mixed responses. It collected ₹2.5 million (equivalent to ₹630 million or US$7.4 million in 2023) and was declared a commercial failure by Box Office India.[2]

Critical reception

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Rotten Tomatoes gives Aaja Nachle an approval rating of 67% based on 6 critic reviews.[11]

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote that the film was below mediocre doesn't meet up to expectations and called it "one of the major disappointments of the year".[12] Hindustan Times film critic Khalid Mohamed said the film was "scripted with more potholes than you could find on a post-monsoon road".[13] Raja Sen of Rediff.com called Aaje Nachle "a tragically half-baked film".[14]

Rachel Saltz for the The New York Times described the character Dia as interesting but lacking the screenplay to "fully address or dramatize them".[15]

Derek Elley wrote for Variety that the film was "not so much a comeback as a one-off special appearance".[16]

Accolades

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Award Date of the ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Stardust Awards 26 January 2008 Actor of the Year – Female Madhuri Dixit Nominated [17]
Best Supporting Actor Akshaye Khanna Nominated
Filmfare Awards 16 February 2008 Best Actress Madhuri Dixit Nominated [18]
Best Female Playback Singer Sunidhi Chauhan (for "Aaja Nachle") Nominated
Annual Central European Bollywood Awards 8 March 2008 Best Actress Madhuri Dixit Nominated [19]
Producers Guild Film Awards 30 March 2008 Best Female Playback Singer Sunidhi Chauhan (for "Aaja Nachle") Nominated [20]
IIFA Awards 6–8 June 2008 Best Female Playback Singer Nominated [21]
Best Choreography Vaibhavi Merchant (for "Aaja Nachle") Won

References

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  1. ↑ "Yash Raj Films announces Stellar Line-Up of Attractions for the year 2007". Yash Raj Films. Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Boxofficeindia.com". Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Aaja Nachle". Yash Raj Films.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Aaja Nachle: Plot Summary". IMDb.
  5. ↑ Pant, Diksha. "'Choli Ke Peeche' to 'Aaja Nachle'- Bollywood's song controversies:Words used in Madhuri Dixit's song sparked national debate, also got banned in UP- Punjab". Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Controversial lyrics in 'Aaja Nachle' song removed". 19 November 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Aaja Nachle banned in Punjab, Haryana". www.hindustantimes.com. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Aaja Nachle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Aaja Nachle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Top Ten albums of the week". AN soundtrack stays at number 5 for first week. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  11. ↑ "Come, Dance With Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Hungama, Bollywood (30 November 2007). "Aaja Nachle Review 1.5/5 | Aaja Nachle Movie Review | Aaja Nachle 2007 Public Review | Film Review". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "Dixit can't fix it". Dixit cannot Fix it. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
  14. ↑ "Madhuri shines in a nice, boring film". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  15. ↑ Saltz, Rachel (1 December 2007). "Come Back to Bollywood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  16. ↑ Elley, Derek (2 January 2008). "Aaja nachle". Variety. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  17. ↑ Yount, Stacey (26 December 2007). "Max Stardust Awards nominations revealed". BollySpice.com - The latest movies, interviews in Bollywood. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Filmfare Awards Winners From 1953 to 2024". filmfare.com. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "OSO sweeps European Bollywood Awards". Hindustan Times. 10 March 2008.
  20. ↑ "Winners of 3rd Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards". Bollywood Hungama. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ↑ "IIFA Awards winners - IFFA 2008". 10 June 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
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