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Club hits to item songs

On reading Sreya Basu’s “Hit shakers” (Spectrum, March 13), one remembers the hit club songs of old films. In fact, today’s item numbers are remixed versions of those bewitching cabaret-style songs.

Previously, such songs were introduced in films to attract, entertain, seduce and sometimes to serve as a signal for the hero in certain situations. Kahin pe nighen kahin pe nishana (Shamshad in CID), Mere naam chin chin chu (Geeta Dutt in Howrah Bridge); Aayeeyee meharban baithiye jaane jan (Asha in Howrah Bridge); and Tadbir se bigahi hui taqdir bana le (Baazi); are some classic examples.
However, those were meaningful numbers. Now, more loudness and nudity with gyrations plus scanty dresses are added to song sequences to titillate the audience to “do all sorts of mad things”, as expressed by Anu Malik. Clearly, these films are here to madden people.

KAMLESH UPPAL, Patiala

AVTAR NARAIN CHOPRA, Kurukshetra

Friends of trees Kudos to Khushwant Singh for highlighting the importance of trees (Saturday Extra, Feb 12). “About three years ago, the apex body controlling historical gurdwaras announced that henceforth instead of giving worshippers the traditional karah parshad”, they should be given the tree saplings. “Now, we have a genuine tree worshipper in Damanbir Singh Jaspal, an IAS officer. He produced a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book, Tryst with Trees: Punjab’s Sacred Heritage. Some other environmentalist has also idolised trees. He enumerates the gains of trees to human beings thus: They hold up the mountains They cushion the rainstorms They discipline the rivers They control the floods They maintain the water springs They foster the birds They moderate air temperature They shelter our wildlife They keep the desert at bay They spot soil erosion That shows the manifold gains to humanity. Even then, there are fools who axe them. How callous! Cutting trees is equivalent to committing suicide. VIJAY SHEEL JAIN, Ludhiana