Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas went on to win five National awards, was India’s official entry to the Oscars and was also nominated for a BAFTA award.
The song “Dola Re Dola” from the iconic film has now been declared the greatest Bollywood dance number of all time . Featuring Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the song choreographed by Saroj Khan beat off tough competition from dance numbers across the decades to top a list published by UK based Eastern Eye newspaper.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Dola Re Dola trumped over Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya from Mughal-e-Azam and Ek Do Teen from Tezaab ,which figured second and third on the list respectively. Not surprising since the choreographer on several occasions maintained that the song is the toughest she ever worked on during her glittering career.
Says Eastern Eye entertainment editor Asjad Nazir, “With Bollywood being built on a bedrock of music, dance has become an integral part of Hindi cinema across the decades and given audiences unforgettable moments. The perfect Bollywood number needs an amazing set, incredible choreography, wonderful dancers, shining stars, beautiful costumes and a larger than life feel. It also needs to be a stand out moment in the movie. Dola Re Dola has all that and more. Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Saroj Khan teamed up to create a masterpiece connected to it’s Indian roots.”
The list of 50 greatest Hindi dance numbers was based on public votes, cinematic impact, choreography, staging and opinions of dance experts.