There's something about a cabaret sequence that instantly elevates a film. The smoke, the sequins, the single spotlight, all come together to mesmerize. So when the first glimpse of Alia Bhatt's cabaret-inspired look from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War began making the rounds, it sent us straight into a cinematic rabbit hole of the genre's greatest hits.
Bhansali is reportedly having Alia's character, a jazz singer caught in a love triangle in his latest movie. Think smoky lighting, dramatic silhouettes, and old-world glamour with a dangerous edge. Which got us thinking: which cabaret performances have already earned that kind of legacy? Here are eight cabaret acts worth watching (or rewatching) this weekend.
Minnelli's turn as Sally Bowles in the Kit Kat Klub from Bob Fosse's Cabaret practically invented the modern template. Smudged glamour and a raw vulnerability beneath all that sequinned bravado, best defines her act.
Long before "item number" became a buzzword, Helen was Bollywood's reigning Cabaret Queen. Across decades of classic Hindi cinema, she brought an electric, theatrical energy to smoky club sequences that few have matched since. Her song Piya Tu Ab To Aaja from 1971 Caravan where she plays a Cabaret dancer still makes people hum the tune and tap their feet along with it.
Playing double-murderess-turned-vaudeville-star Velma Kelly, Zeta-Jones turned a courtroom scandal into pure showbiz spectacle. Her opening number remains a masterclass in using choreography to convey a character's entire personality in under five minutes.
As courtesan-performer Satine, Kidman turned the Moulin Rouge stage into a swirling fever dream. Her entrance alone, descending from the rafters in full sparkle, set a new bar for how a cabaret number could double as a character's introduction.
Sridevi's Hawa Hawai song from Mr. India is one of her best acts till date. The lead duo - Anil Kapoor and late Sridevi are still remembered for this family -drama and their performances in it.
One of the most memorable performances by Parveen Babi is her dance number Jawani Janeman from the 1982 movie Namak Halaal. Dressed in gold, and performing in front of Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan she oozes glamour, oomph and sensuality.
No party is complete without playing Zeenat Aman's Laila Mein Laila. One of the biggest hits of her career from Qurbani, Zeenat is remembered for her role as a nightclub performer and a love interest between the leads played by Feroze Khan and Vinod Khanna.
One of the most iconic cabaret songs of recent times would be Rekha's Kaisi Paheli Zindagani from Parineeta. A special act by the veteran actor which became part of her filmography legacy, is often hummed in jazz clubs even today. Parineeta was also Vidya Balan's debut movie opposite Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Raima Sen and Dia Mirza.
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(By Pratyusha Pan)