How B Subhash created Mithun Chakraborty's iconic 'Disco Dancer'
Mumbai, June 20
Filmmaker B. Subhash has revealed behind-the-scenes details from the making of the iconic film "Disco Dancer."
During his appearance on the reality show 'India's Best Dancer Season 5,' he reflected on how the Mithun Chakraborty-starrer went on to become a cult classic with global appeal. Subhash, along with Remo D'Souza and Jaaved Jaaferi, recounted intriguing stories about how the film's iconic character Jimmy went beyond borders to become a global sensation across generations.
Recalling his first interaction with Mithun Chakraborty, B. Subhash shared, "Mithun thoda pareshan tha. I was doing a film Taqdeer Ka Badshah. Maine bola, 'Don't worry, ek din film banaunga tumhare saath. You're going to be a big star.' Maine bola Disco Dancer. I felt ki uski aankhon mein na jhalak aa gayi. That's how I started with him."( Mithun was a bit worried. I was working on a film called Taqdeer Ka Badshah. I told him, "Don't worry, one day I'll make a film with you. You're going to become a big star." I said, "Disco Dancer." I felt there was a spark in his eyes. That's how I began working with him.)
Revealing the unique Western inspiration behind the title track's iconic lyrics, he continued, "Uss time kya likha tha: 'My mother says I used to sing when I was not able to talk. I used to dance when I was not even able to walk.' Udhar se Disco Dancer aaya. Toh maine Anjaan sahab ko diya. Bahot achha reaction diya unhone."( At that time, what was written was "My mother says I used to sing even when I wasn't able to talk. I used to dance even when I couldn't walk yet." That's where Disco Dancer came from. So I gave it to Anjaan sahab. He reacted very positively to it.)
B. Subhash further explained how they came up with the title "Disco Dancer" and selected the team for the film. "D se hota hai Dance, I se hota hai Item, S hota hai Singer, C se hota hai Chorus, O se aata hai Orchestra. Ye badi precious film thi mere liye. Meri pehli production thi, pehli maine direction ki thi. Toh I wanted best. Toh best choreographer uss time the Suresh Bhatt ji. ("D stands for Dance, I stands for Item, S stands for Singer, C stands for Chorus, and O stands for Orchestra. This film was very precious to me. It was my first production and my first time directing. So I wanted the best. At that time, the best choreographer was Suresh Bhatt ji.")
Remo D'Souza further highlighted the character's immense international fame. He recalled a notable incident during a film shoot in Russia. "Hum Russia mein shoot kar rahe the Salman sir ki film Lucky, aur usmein Mithunda sir bhi the film mein. Lekin jis din main set pe gaya na, uss din kuch alag hi bheed thi. Phir maine bola, 'Ye log kaun hain?' Woh bole, 'Jimmy ko hum dekhne aaye hai.' Phir maine bola, 'Jimmy kaun?' Woh logon ne bola, 'Mithunda sir baithe hue hain udhar.'" (We were shooting in Russia for Salman sir's film Lucky, and Mithun da was also in the film. But the day I went to the set, there was an unusual crowd. So I asked, "Who are these people?" They said, "We've come to see Jimmy." Then I asked, "Which Jimmy?" And they replied, "Mithun da is sitting over there.")
B. Subhash also shared a touching experience from his visit to China. He recalled, "Jimmy Jimmy' woh log ne apni language mein bola. Within 10 minutes 100 aadmi ho gaye. So they made me stand in between them and round banaya, and sab log 'Jimmy Jimmy' gaa rahe the. It's a rare moment when your work is appreciated by those people who don't know our language also. "Jimmy Jimmy," they said in their own language. Within 10 minutes, there were about 100 people. They made me stand in the middle and formed a circle, and everyone started singing 'Jimmy Jimmy'. It was a rare moment when your work is appreciated by people who don't even know our language.)
On a related note, "Disco Dancer" is a 1982 Indian dance-action film directed by Babbar Subhash and written by Rahi Masoom Raza. The film featured Mithun Chakraborty and Kim in the lead roles, supported by Om Puri, Gita Siddharth, and Karan Razdan. Rajesh Khanna appeared in a special role.
— IANS
Reader Comments
B. Subhash was a visionary. The way he named the film - Dance, Item, Singer, Chorus, Orchestra - that's pure Bollywood creativity! But honestly, I wish modern filmmakers had that same attention to detail. Today it's all about remakes and item songs. This article made me nostalgic for the 80s when films had soul.
The Russia and China stories are incredible! Imagine being in a foreign country and hearing strangers chant "Jimmy Jimmy" - that's the power of cinema right there. My father still says "I am a Disco Dancer" when he gets into his dancing mood at weddings. 😂 This film broke all boundaries, not just in India, but globally. Sadly, I don't think any modern Bollywood film will have that kind of international impact.
Interesting read, but let's be real: the film itself is quite dated by today's standards. The story was weak even for 1982. It's the music, Mithun's charisma, and Bappi Lahiri's soundtrack that made it iconic. The lyrics "My mother says I used to sing..." are cute but the translation feels forced. Still, respect to the team for creating something that resonated across cultures.
The way B. Subhash saw the spark in Mithun's eyes and predicted his stardom - that's what's missing in today's industry. Now it's all about nepotism and PR. Mithun came from humble beginnings and became a star purely through talent. The Jimmy character is legendary. Every time I hear "I am a Disco Dancer," I can't help but smile and do the famous step! 🕺
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