The 1980s were iconic for being the era with some of the best film music. Think of the Indian electronic disco scene that exploded in the early 80s sparked by the success of pop singer Nazia Hassan, producer Biddu and composers like Bappi Lahiri.
Daddy, which stars Arjun Rampal, is partly set in the 1980s and boasts of a track that is bound to take everyone back to the clubs. Titled 'Zindagi Meri Dance Dance' the song was originally produced in 1987 for the Mithun Chakraborty movie Dance Dance but was never used in the final film.
Composed by Bappi Lahiri and sung by Vijay Benedict and Alisha Chinai, the new version has additional production by famous Norwegian Dj Ole Petter Hergum aka Olefonken.
Daddy, which is based on the life of notorious gangster Arun Gawli, is true to the era it is set in. Director Ashim Ahluwalia was not keen on having an item song in a gritty film like Daddy. He says, "It felt unnecessary. B.Subhash movies and Bappi Lahiri's desi electro-funk was actually the soundtrack to the 1980s in my mind. We didn't want a remix or something newly composed for the film, we needed to have something authentic from that period that just sounded so right you don't want to mess with it."
Arjun adds, "We weren't too keen on having an item song in a gangster film for the sake of it. It has become a norm to have one such song in films of this genre. I wanted to stay true to the era and have a song from the 80s which is part of a scene that takes place in Caesar Palace, a legendary nightclub from that time. When I heard Zindagi Meri Dance Dance, I knew it had to be on the Daddy soundtrack."
Other than obvious influences like Mithun-da's breakdance moves, director Ashim Ahluwalia's nightclub imagery perfectly recalls films like 'Namak Halal', and the gold-sequined disco style of divas like Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman.
The USP of the track is its ability to transport you straight to the 1980s. Ceaser of Bosco Ceaser fame who has choreographed the track says, "I love the 80s as that is the era I grew up in. It was a sheer joy and so rare to get to choreograph something so completely authentic, a film that mirrors what we used to imitate back in our days. We loved break dance. Mithun Da and Parveen Babi were our idols and you see so much of their fashion sense and dancing styles in this song as well."
The song features model-actress Natasa Stankovic and takes place during a scene where Gawli and another infamous Don have a tense meeting, blending the 80s disco universe with the story beautifully.
Daddy has an eclectic soundtrack and Zindagi Meri Dance Dance is the perfect track to complete the mood and feel of the story. The film hits theatres on September 8.
Groove on the track here.