Aaja Nachle

Aaja Nachle (transl. Come, let's dance) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language dance drama 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, Kunal Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Divya Dutta, Ranvir Shorey, and Vinay Pathak in supporting roles. The narrative centers on Dia, a choreographer who returns from the United States to her hometown of Shamli, where she attempts to save a dilapidated theater from demolition by staging a large-scale musical production with the help of the local community.

The film marked Dixit’s comeback to Hindi cinema after a five-year hiatus and was promoted as a celebration of dance and the performing arts. Principal photography took place in Mumbai and the town of Wai, with choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant and cinematography by K. U. Mohanan. The music was composed by Salim–Sulaiman, with lyrics by Jaideep Sahni and Piyush Mishra.

Aaja Nachle was released theatrically in India and the United States on 30 November 2007.^[2] It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, who praised Dixit’s performance and the film’s dance sequences, but criticized its screenplay and predictable plot. The film underperformed at the box office and was declared a commercial failure by Box Office India.^[3]

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

Dia Srivastav, a dance choreographer based in New York City, returns to her hometown of Shamli in India with her daughter, Radha, upon learning that her former dance teacher, Makrand, is terminally ill. After arriving, she discovers that he has already died and left her with the responsibility of saving his now-abandoned dance theatre, Ajanta, which is slated for demolition to make way for a shopping mall.

Dia, who left Shamli years ago after eloping with an American photographer, finds that the town still harbors resentment toward her. Her childhood friends Najma and Farooque are distant, and her family home has been sold. The only person who supports her is the kindly Doctor Saab. Determined to fulfill Makrand’s last wish, Dia petitions local politician Raja Uday Singh, who challenges her to stage a successful play using only local residents; if she succeeds, Ajanta will be spared.

Despite skepticism from the townspeople, Dia begins casting for a production of Laila Majnu. Initially met with ridicule, she persists and finds unlikely participants, including the rebellious Imran Pathan, whom she persuades to play Majnu in exchange for political support for his mentor, Chaudhary Om Singh. Anokhi, a spirited young woman secretly in love with Imran, auditions to play Laila. Though Dia is hesitant, she eventually casts her, believing that her passion will bring depth to the role.

As rehearsals progress, Dia helps Anokhi transform both in skill and confidence, leading to a gradual romantic connection between her and Imran. Meanwhile, political opposition mounts against Dia, including sabotage from Farooque and Chaudhary. However, support returns when Najma reconciles with Dia and joins the play. On the night of the performance, the entire town gathers at Ajanta, and the production proves to be a resounding success. The townspeople, once critical, are moved by the performance, and Ajanta is saved.

In the aftermath, Imran and Anokhi begin teaching dance at Ajanta, restoring its legacy. Before leaving for New York, Dia shares a lighthearted moment with Raja Uday Singh, hinting at a possible romantic future. The film concludes with him visiting Dia in New York, watching her perform, and the two sharing a smile, suggesting a new beginning.

Principal photography began on 15 January 2007 at Film City, Mumbai and was concluded in March 2007.^[4]

Upon its release, Aaja Nachle faced controversy over a line in the film’s title track that was perceived as casteist. The lyric, “Mohalle mein kaisi maara-maari hai, bole mochi bhi khud ko sunar hai” (transl. “There is such chaos in the neighborhood, even the cobbler calls himself a goldsmith”), prompted protests from Dalit groups who argued that the line implied the inferiority of the mochi (cobbler) caste to the sunar (goldsmith) caste.^[5]

As a result, the film was banned in Uttar Pradesh on the day of its release, with Punjab and Haryana following suit the next day.^[6] The bans significantly affected the film’s opening weekend box office performance.

Following public outcry and intervention, Yash Raj Films issued a formal apology and removed the offending lyric. It was replaced with the line “Mere dar pe deewano ki bahaar hai” (transl. “There is a parade of lovers at my doorstep”). Subsequently, the bans were lifted in all three states. However, the city of Patna also imposed a ban on 2 December 2007.

The issue was raised in the Parliament of India by RPI leader Ramdas Athawale, who demanded a nationwide ban. In response, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi stated that censorship and regulatory action on such matters fell under the jurisdiction of individual state governments.^[7]

The soundtrack of Aaja Nachle was composed by Salim–Sulaiman, with lyrics written by Jaideep Sahni and Piyush Mishra. It was released on 16 August 2007 under the YRF Music label. The album features a mix of classical, folk, and contemporary sounds in keeping with the film’s theatrical theme.

Notable vocal performances include Sunidhi Chauhan, who lent her voice to the title track picturized on Madhuri Dixit; Shreya Ghoshal for Konkona Sen Sharma’s character, and Sonu Nigam for Kunal Kapoor. Other featured artists include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Kailash Kher, Sukhwinder Singh, Richa Sharma, Sonia Saigal, Marianne D'Cruz, and Salim Merchant. The title track, written by Mishra, received particular acclaim and was central to the film's promotion.

While several songs from the final stage sequence, including "Yeh Ishq," were not part of the official soundtrack release, the album was generally well received. It debuted at number nine on Indian music charts in its opening week.^[8] The song "O Re Piya," performed by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, gained popularity beyond the film and was later featured in the 2009 Malaysian film Talentime.

Aaja Nachle opened to a lukewarm response, hindered by bans in several states due to controversy over a lyric in the title song. The film underperformed across most domestic territories and failed to gain traction despite heavy promotion and media attention around Dixit’s return to cinema. It collected ₹207.5 million (equivalent to ₹630 million or US$7.4 million in 2023) and was declared a commercial failure by Box Office India.^[9]

Aaja Nachle received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, with praise largely directed at Madhuri Dixit’s performance and the choreography, while criticism was aimed at the screenplay, pacing, and underdeveloped supporting characters. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Aaja Nachle holds an approval rating of 67% based on 6 critic reviews.^[10]

In India, the film received mixed-to-negative reviews. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote that the film failed to live up to expectations, citing a weak screenplay and uneven pacing. He praised Dixit’s performance and screen presence but concluded that “despite its noble intentions, the film lacks emotional impact.”^[11] Khalid Mohamed of Hindustan Times criticized the script as “filled with more potholes than a post-monsoon road,” calling the film a disappointment despite Dixit’s return.^[12]

Conversely, Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN was more appreciative, highlighting Dixit as “the one and only star of the film.” He praised Konkona Sen Sharma’s performance as “fearless and uninhibited,” stating that the film’s sincerity and thematic focus on community and art helped compensate for its structural shortcomings.^[13] Tanmay Kumar Nanda of Rediff.com noted that the film “is high on gloss but light on substance,” though he acknowledged Dixit’s charisma and dance as the film’s emotional core.^[14]

Internationally, the reception was similarly mixed. Rachel Saltz of The New York Times described Aaja Nachle as “a musical fairy tale” with strong visuals but felt that the story “hovers uneasily between the real and the ideal,” ultimately lacking narrative depth.^[15] Dennis Harvey of Variety acknowledged the film’s “spirited cast and heartfelt drama” and praised its musical sequences, especially the climactic Laila–Majnu performance, but noted the film relied heavily on formula.^[16]

• Official website
• Aaja Nachle at IMDb