Blink, but can?t miss

From SRK to AB, Aishwarya to Koena ? a small yet significant appearance is the going gimmick, says Pratim D. Gupta

(Clockwise from above) Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai doing the Kajra re moves at the IIFA Awards in Amsterdam; Sameera Reddy who sizzled in the last frame of No Entry; Sanjay Dutt in the Ek Ajnabee item number

Halfway through Home Delivery, comes the quip from the crowd: ?The guest appearances are better than this Nanny-Sunny natak.? For those not in sync with Sujoy Ghosh?s latest film, Sunny is Vivek Oberoi?s ? oh, sorry, Viveik Anand Oberoi?s ? name in the movie and Nanny is what he calls his lady love played by Ayesha Takia, whose real name in the film is Jenny. Confused? Never mind. What the guy in that matinee show at INOX (Forum) meant was simple: the two-second cameos were better than the lead roles in the movie.

The list of all those who flitted in and out of Home Delivery is enough reason to buy a ticket, if not order a pizza from Mummy?s Pizza ? Abhishek Bachchan, Suniel Shetty, Naseeruddin Shah, Sanjay Suri, Riteish, Juhi Chawla, Karan Johar, Aman Verma, Pia Roy Chowdhury, Shayan Munshi, Victor Banerjee, Shernaz Patel, music director Shekhar. Sanjay Dutt was there too, in vocal format, crooning Maya-Maya, every time Mahima Choudhury?s Cleavage Kumari dropped her pallu (and that happened every time she was in the frame).

After wishing Boman Michael Irani a Happy Diwali on December 2, Abhishek returned next Friday as Lara Dutta?s bodyguard (again in a last-shot cameo) to the loudest hoots and whistles in Ek Ajnabee, and as Tanishaa?s dance partner in Neal ?N? Nikki.

The latest is Abhishek?s third Yash Raj special appearance after the dear-then-departed husband in Hum Tum and the doctor-gone-crazy in Salaam Namaste. No wonder Neal ?N? Nikki director Arjun Sablok says: ?Anything?s possible in a Yash Raj movie!?

So what is it about special appearances that makes it the must-have mantra in Bollywood these days? It obviously adds to the glamour factor of a film, says a Mumbai-based trade analyst. ?While some are well hidden like a Yash Raj movie, meant to spring a pleasant surprise, others are leaked at strategic intervals in the pre-release promotion and marketing campaign to add to the appeal.?

But don?t the high-profile special appearances distract from the main plot? ?How can big names be distractions?? demands Sujoy Ghosh. ?A simple walk-in to a frame cannot hamper the movie in any way. They can add to the enterprise if they do anything at all.?

Item numbers have been a standard mode of special appearances. From Aishwarya Rai in Kajra re (Bunty Aur Babli) and Shah Rukh Khan in the Kaal title track to Abhishek Bachchan (yes, again!) in One Love (Rakht) and Rekha in Kaisi paheli zindagani (Parineeta), the four-odd-minute blitzkrieg is music to the ears for the audio industry and a whole lot of eye candy for the cine-viewers.

And there?s much more to follow. Sanjay Dutt comes in the end credits of Ek Ajnabee. Urmila Matondkar will do a Helen, moving to Mehbooba mehbooba in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay.

Sometimes, it?s the off-screen bond that seals the on-screen beam. A Shah Rukh Khan promise five years ago resulted in a last-scene cameo in critic-turned-film-maker Samar Khan?s directorial debut Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye. The Abhishek-Apoorva Lakhia friendship not only led to the Chhota B?s Ek Ajnabee appearance but also helped the Big B agree to do the title role. Aftab Shivdasani, who played one of the principal characters in Awara Paagal Deewana, did a tiny appearance in the sequel Deewane Huye Paagal.

?What?s good about all these special appearances is that it shows the togetherness in the film industry,? suggests another trade analyst. ?Just a request from a director has so many big stars lining up just to do a walk-in role!?

Or, a talk-in role! Yes, Amitabh Bachchan has done it. Not just for biggies like Satyajit Ray (Shatranj Ke Khiladi) and Mrinal Sen (Bhuvan Shome), the Big Baritone is on deep display in films like Lagaan and Parineeta, introducing the movie and setting the pace. Shah Rukh?s done it too, for Khalid Mohamed?s Silsilaay. And recently, Viveik Oberoi played sutradhar in Deewane Huye Paagal.

Special appearances have also turned around careers for many a Bollywood bombshell. If Raveena Tandon rediscovered her oomph factor as Shaher ki ladki in Rakshak, Sameera Reddy?s last-frame appearance in No Entry is said to have got her quite a few prized banners. Koena Mitra?s Saki-Saki shake got her Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena while Riya Sen returned to the reckoning after the dare-bare title sequence of James.

As Suniel Shetty puts it: ?These days, it doesn?t matter how long your role is. You can have an impact anytime anywhere.?