For a different look

OVERSEAS GLAMOUR

A new trend is the inclusion of foreign dancers in the background. Almost every other movie has one song with foreign dancers shaking a leg to Kannada lyrics.

Producers and directors tell Metrolife that using foreign girls in the background is a costly affair but it is worth the money as it adds that extra appeal to a song.

The decision to use foreign dancers is a collective one of the producer, choreographer and director.

Says Imran, a choreographer who is known for using foreign dancers in his songs, “A lot depends on the song. I feel Indian dancers are excellent but at times, certain songs demand a foreign face as they give a different look.”

Roping in foreign dancers means an increase in the budget as well. The foreign dancers living in Mumbai on work visa are mainly from three countries –– Russia, UK and Australia.

And each of them charge around Rs 10,000-15,000 a day only as renumerations. Apart from this, the producer has to fly them down to the location, put them up in a good hotel and take care of their daily expenses as well. “They are thorough professionals. They need to be told all about the costumes, the number of hours the shoot will take and even the costumes they need to wear before the shoot,” explains Imran. “Steps are not a big problem as they are trained and pick up very fast,” he adds.

And the producers don’t mind shelling out extra money. “As long as the script demands it and it gives a good finish to the song, I don’t mind it,” says actor-cum-producer Komal, who used foreign dancers for his movie Kal Manja.

Director Umesh says that these dancers give the much-needed glamour to a song. Having recently shot an introduction song for Krishnan Marriage Story with actor Ajay Rao and a bunch of foreign belles, Umesh adds, “Foreign girls are nothing but a glamour element. They make a sequence look good. In the movie, the hero is an ad film-maker, who is always surrounded by glamourous girls from all over the world. To showcase that, we brought in the girls from London and Australia.”

Sometimes the girls are not used only for the songs. Says director Ravindra, whose film I Am Sorry Mathebanni Preethsona had foreign dancers for a photoshoot alone, “When I announced the film, there was a certain curiosity created around the hero’s (Prem) look. And I still had to introduce the other characters. So I did this unique photoshoot where the foreign models announced the hero’s look,” he says.

“Foreign girls are ‘headturners’ so when you have a glamourous face on the screen or the poster, people are bound to give a second look and our goal is achieved,” he adds.