The Hotstar series Moving in with Malaika had one whole episode dedicated to Nora Fatehi, the comparison that is being drawn between them, the competition, the similarities and what not. As expected and as it ideally should be, the episode ended up in a joint performance by both of them where both emerged as great performers. But not today in this post of mine as; I am determined to find a winner.
Since the time I have seen the episode the idea of the difference between the both of them is stuck in my mind. They both are great, have hourglass figures, look hot, do item numbers but there must be a difference. I mean there has to be a difference, they were not casted from one mould after all.
Well first thing first, I am neither a Malaika fan and nor a Nora fan. So this article is purely my opinion as an indifferent and unbiased audience and not as a fan of either one of them, or both of them but as a fan of the genre “item songs”. Let us discuss their differences point wise to understand them better-
1. Entry point – Malaika started doing item numbers when they weren’t even a thing, when only a few actresses would do item numbers – because either most of them were too conscious about their image or an item song wouldn’t fit in with the role they were portraying. She not only did item numbers with full confidence, charm and grace but also made a separate space for them in films even when honestly a huge section of audience looked down upon them.
Nora on the other hand has entered the film industry when most numbers are item numbers. Even the actresses are doing item numbers and the story of a film is twisted in a way that you won’t understand where the item number came from. There is however still a small section of audience who continue to look down upon item numbers but Nora continues to shake her body with full confidence and how.
2. Body – Malaika had that perfect body to ooze for when actresses though had a good body but weren’t hour glass; they were normal looking girls next door. Malaika’s hourglass, perfect body made boys go nuts and girls fume. Now, Nora has a great body too BUT in today’s time every 3 in 10 girls has a body like this or is working towards a body like this. Everyone is following the diet the celebrities are following, the training routine the celebrities are following, some who can afford even hire the same trainers, same nutritionists and what not.
3. Dance style – As a young girl I always looked forward to Malaika item songs because oh boy how magically did she move. Now my 9 year old daughter loves grooving to Nora songs because well she dances magically too.
But, like the common phenomenon today the younger generation has a shorter attention span. She would dance in the most happening lines of a Nora song and bam she changes the song, another Nora song, similar kind of a music, similar kind of steps, similar kind of costume she would dance for a couple of minute and bam she changes the song again. Whereas, when I or many girls of my times would dance to malaika songs we would want to dance on the full song because the whole song had something to look forward to. In those times her songs had some or the other USP, something different from the previous one but in Nora songs I find that same belly dancing, same chest thumping, same hip shaking – of course not her fault if the choreographer cannot churn out more from her such a flexible body.
Exposure – Not talking about the body exposure here but the media exposure. Well now no individual could have done or could do anything about it. The kind if exposure the celebrities have today has actually made fans not longing much for more. Amitabh Bachchan and SRK’s houses are sprawling of fans waiting for them always always which is a rare phenomenon for stars of current times. There is already so much of them available readily that there is hardly any scope of wanting more. One cannot say that this is good or that was better BUT that is the difference.
When you saw Malaika you wanted to see more of her item songs because that made a dull movie interesting but honestly and nothing against her I am too tired of seeing Nora in every other item number that sometimes it will take me a few minutes to recall which movie which song is it.
Well, in my opinion Malaika definitely has that first mover advantage which will remain with her at least till our generation the one to have witness the introduction of item songs is in the audience.
For me Malaika Arora is the ultimate and quintessential item girl.
musingsofaakanksha 