Item numbers have become excessively popular in recent times. Majority of Hindi movies that hit screens have item numbers. When there’s demand there’s got to be an endless supply. Item songs are a relatively new phenomenon in Bollywood that have charmed movie goers. Item girls have become a rage with the masses. This article is an epic showcase of the most popular Bollywood actresses doing item numbers.

While there have been dance performances in movies of yesteryears, the “item girl” scenario has given new meaning and direction to films in recent times. Item songs or item numbers have suddenly become hugely popular with the masses and that’s why every filmmaker is willing to pay big bucks to get women from the entertainment industry to dance to a catchy tune.

The entertainment factor an item song brings goes a long way in marketing and publicity of a film. Filmmakers are paying huge amounts to leading ladies in Bollywood for an item song. Hot item girls often dance to catchy upbeat tunes. Item songs may appear in a movie any time without any relevance to plot or story. When the item song craze had just begun, there were girls who were roped in only for item numbers and were not part of the movie.

In the past it was actresses that were struggling to establish a firm footing in the movie industry that were offered screen space in the form of item songs.

Now, it’s all changed drastically. In present times, leading ladies in Bollywood have stamped their authority in every item song scenario. Items songs often include provocative dance sequences in the backdrop of foot taping music and suggestive lyrics. The racy images of item girls dancing in an item song are often shot aesthetically. While the meaning of “item song” refers to a sexualized song, the term has earned a broad spectrum in terms of perspective.

The emergence of item numbers and item girls

Sizzling Cabarets and dance songs had been in Hindi films since the 60s. The roots of item songs lie in the early 90s. The 80s gave way to a whole new avatar of glam that paved the way for item girls. Many girls who were small-time actresses or actresses trying to make a name in the Bollywood industry took up the songs in films that required provocative dance moves. The item girl tag started gaining momentum with small-time actresses trying to make a mark in Bollywood. Suddenly every mainstream Hindi film in the 90s had an item song.  Towards the late 90s few leading actresses in Bollywood started doing item numbers, and the audience seemed to love paradigm shift. The term “Item girl” got new meaning the 2000s. Leading Bollywood actresses started doing item numbers in the moves they starred. This trend caught on, and since then the manic craze just hasn’t ceased.

The ever-changing trend in Bollywood saw the emergence of foreigners in item songs in the 2000s. Since early 2000, many foreigners from the entertainment industry have come to India and are working in Indian films. Filmmakers with big budgets at their disposal pay significant amounts for item songs by foreigners. Since early 2000, the numbers of foreign item girls dancing to the tune of upbeat item songs have gone up astoundingly. In present times the demand for new faces as item girls in song-and-dance sequences has reached another level. Hot item girls are in demand, and the Bollywood graph suggests it will only get better. Item songs and Item girls are here to stay. What will be the next trend in Bollywood… Time will tell.

The list below offers a detailed perspective on actresses and models that have done item numbers in Bollywood. Mentioned in brackets is a popular item song by the actress and the movie in which it appears.

Top 100 Bollywood Item Girls

1. Sunny Leone (Baby Doll- Ragani MMS 2)
2. Maliaka Arora Khan (Fashion Khatam Mujhpe- Dolly Ki Doli)
3. Deepika Padukone (Mit Jaaye Gham- Dum Maaro Dum)
4. Katrina Kaif (Sheila Ki Jawani- Tees Maar Khan)
5. Kareena Kapoor (Fevicol Se- Dabangg 2)
6. Priyanka Chopra (Ram Chahe Leela- Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela)
7. Lisa Haydon (Shake it Saaiyan- Rascals)
8. Nargis Fakri (Yaar Na Miley- Kick)
9. Yana Gupta (Laila Main Laila- Chalo Dilli
10. Bipasha Basu (Kya Raaz Hain- Raaz 3)
11. Jacqueline Fernandez (Aap Ka Kya Hoga Janabe Ali (Dhanno)- Housefull)
12. Mallika Sherawat (Jalebi Bai- Double Dhamaal)
13. Shilpa Shetty (Tu Mere Type Ka Nahin Hai- Dishkiyoon)
14. Urmila Matondkar (Chamma Chamma- China Gate)
15. Claudia Ciesla (Balma- Khiladi 786)
16. Bruna Abdullah (Raham Kare- Cash)
17. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Kajra Re- Bunty Aur Bubli)
18. Lauren Gottlieb (Calcutta Kiss- Detective Byomkesh Baksshy!)
19. Nathalia Kaur (Dan Dan Cheeni- Department)
20. Shruti Hassan (Madamiyan- Tevar)
21. Hazel Keech (Aa Ante Amlapuram- Maximum)
22. Shraddha Kapoor (Dance Basanti- Ungli)
23. Scarlett Mellish Wilson (Imported Kamariya- Shanghai)
24. Esha Gupta (Dhat Teri Ki- Gori Teri Pyaar Mein)
25. Mayte Garcia (Deedar De- Dus)
26. Sophie Choudry (Ala Re Ala- Shootout At Wadala)
27. Lara Dutta (Aisa Jadoo Dala Re- Khakee)
28. Madhuri Dixit (Choli Ke Peeche- Khalnayak)
29. Mahi Gill (Don’t Touch My Body- Bullet Raja)
30. Karisma Kapoor (Sexy Sexy- Khuddar)
31. Sonali Bendre (Humma Humma- Bombay)
32. Raveena Tandon (Tip Tip Barsa Pani- Mohra)
33. Koena Mitra (Saaki Saaki- Musafir)
34. Sarah Jane Dias (Mehki Mehki- Game)
35. Sushmita Sen (Mehboob Mere- Fiza)
36. Geeta Basra (Ghaziabad Ki Rani- Zilla Ghaziabad)
37. Chitrangada Singh (Kaafirana- Joker)
38. Preity Zinta (Happening- Main Aurr Mrs Khanna)
39. Negar Khan (Ishq Khudai- Rudraksh)                                                                     
40. Veena Malik (Fann Ban Gayi- Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya)
41. Mumaith Khan (Dekh Le- Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.)
42. Gauhar Khan (Jhallah Jhallah- Ishaqzaade)
43. Maria Gomez (Neeyat Kharab- Teen Patti)
44. Hazel Crowney (Tu Hi Khwahish- Once Upon A Time In Mumbai)
45. Rani Mukherjee (Aga Bai- Aiyyaa)
46. Natalia Kapchuk (Tipsy Hogai- Dilliwali Zalim Girlfriend)
47. Isha Koppikar (Ishq Samundar- Kaante)
48. Mahek Chahal (Chamki Jawani- Yamla Pagla Deewana)
49. Priyamani (One, Two, Three, Four- Chennai Express)
50. Pallavi Sharda (Lut Gaye Tere Mohalle- Besharam)
51. Rakhi Sawant (Loot Lo- Loot)
52. Shamita Shetty (Sahara Sahara- Mare Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai)
53. Amrita Arora (Dilli Ki Sardi- Zaameen)
54. Sameera Reddy (Kunda Khol- Chakravyuh)                        
55. Mugdha Godse (Media Se- Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns)
56. Humaima Malick (Namak Paare- Raja Natwarlal)
57. Dia Mirza (Pyar Ki Chatni- Phir Hera Pheri)
58. Kashmira Shah (Chalka Chalka Jaam Hoon Mein- Aankhen)
59. Shriya Saran (Chamiya No 1- Zilla Ghaziabad)
60. Mamta Kulkarni (Koi Jaye To Le Aaye- Ghatak)
61. Tamannaah (Taki O Taki- Himmatwala)
62. Lucy Bartholomew- (Laila Laila- Samay- When Time Strikes)
63. Gihana Khan (Thumka- Mumbai Mirror)
64. Nisha Kothari (Aa Khushi Se Khud Kushi Kar Le- Darling)
65. Prachi Desai (Awari- Ek Villian)
66. Zarine Khan (Character Dheela- Ready)
67. Udita Goswami (Laagi Laagi- Aksar)
68. Sonam Kapoor (Jhoom Jhoom Ta Ja- Players)
69. Amisha Patel (Motiyon Ki Kangana- Chatur Singh Two Star)
70. Daisy Shah (Meri Jawani Sode Ki Botal- Spark)
71. Kainaat Arora (Aila Re Aila- Khatta Meetha)
72. Mariyam Zakaria (Bang Bang Bang- Anjaan)
73. Barkha Bisht Sengupta (Ishq Barse- Rajneethi)
74. Sara Loren (Naughty No 1- Barkhaa)
75. Anjali (Vaale Vaale- Singam)
76. Rachana Maurya (Deedar De- Dus)
77. Pooja Misrra (Saajan Saajan- Dil Ka Rishta)
78. Tara D’Souza (Do Dhaari Talwar- Mere Brother Ki Dulhan)
79. Mahima Choudhary (Ek Dard Souten- Souten: The Other Woman)
80. Tanushree Dutta (Signal Pyaar Ka-Bhagam Bhag)
81. Neha Dhupia (Hotty Naughty- De Dana Dan)
82. Manisha Koirala (Ikrar Karna Mushkil Hai- Agni Sakshi)
83. Esha Deol (Kashmakash- Sunday)
84. Madhuri Bhatacharya (Tinku Jiya- Yamala Pagla Deewana)
85. Shewta Menon (Mein Hoon Raaton Ki Rani- Dhamkee-The Extortion)
86. Monalisa (Imli Imli- Blackmail)
87. Rambha (Mai Sharara Mai Angara- Anokha Jaal)
88. Pooja Batra (Main Mast Kudi Tu Bhi Mast- Jodi No 1)
89. Brinda Parekh (Meri Ankh Sharabi- Ek Se Bure Do)
90. Shewta Tiwari (Dil Ka Achar- Bin Bulaye Baraati)
91. Sherlyn Chopra (Chhua Mere Dil Ko- Game)
92. Nupur Sharma (DJ- Hey Bro)
93. Sambhavana Seth (Yeh Husn Mera Hai Aag- Murder In Mumbai)
94. Shakti Mohan (Tequila Vaquila- Smart & Co)
95. Pooja Welling (Palang Tod Hai Teri Jawani- Jeen Hai Toh Thok Daal)
96. Caterina Lopez ( Taan Ke Seena- Bhendi Bazaar Inc)
97. Kavitta Verma (Hai Ishq Krishna Ki Leela- Policegiri)
98. Vidya Balan (Ooh La La- The Dirty Picture)
99. Meghna Naidu (Pakado Na Mahri Najuk Kalai- Bad Friend)
100. Keeya Khanna (Madam Ji- Chal Bhaag)

Latest Bollywood Item Songs (2015 and 2016)

1. Pink Lips (Sunny Leone- Hate Story 2)
2. Fashion KKhatam Mujh Par (Malaik Arora Khan- Dollly Ki Doli)
3. Yaar Na Miley (Nargis Fakhri- Kick)
4. Shake That Booty (Sunny Leone- Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya)
5. Patne Wali Hoon (Claudia Ciesla- Desi Kattey)
6. Calcutta Kiss (Lauren Gottlieb- Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!)
7. Bulbul (Mahi Gill- Hey Bro)
8. Madamiyan (Shruti Hassan- Tevar)
9. Lovely Jind Wali (Sana Saeed- Fugly)
10. Naughty No.1 (Sara Loren- Barkhaa)
11. Aao Raja (Chitrangada Singh- Gabbar Is Back)
12. Desi Look (Sunny Leone- Ek Paheli Leela)
13. Shakira (Lauren Gottlieb- Welcome To Karachi)
14. Mera Naam Mary (Kareena Kapoor Khan- Brothers)
15. Meri Jawani Sode Ki Botal (Sunny Leone- Spark)
16. Namak Pare (Humaima Malick- Raja Natwarlal)
17. Ghoor Ghoor Ke (Neha Dhupia- Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami)
18. Tipsy Ho Gai (Natalia Kapchuk- Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend)
19. Tattoo (Natalia Kapchuk- ABCD 2)
20. Girls Like To Swing (Anushka Sharma- Dil Dhadakne Do)
21. Awesome Mora Mahiya (Avani Modi, Akanksha Puri, Ruhi Singh and Kyra Dutt- Calendar Girls)
22. 20-20 (Sambhavna Setha and Lauren Gottlieb)
23. Alif Se (Nora Fatehi- Mr. X)
24. Aaj Raat Ka Scene (Deeksha Kaushal- Jazbaa)
25. Lukkhe Bade Aate Hain (Meera- Bumper Draw)
26. Neendein Khul Jati Hain (Puja Gupta- Hate Story 3)
27. Ghaghara (Mallika Sherawat- Dirty Politics)
28. Paani Waala Dance- (Sunny Leone- Kuch Kuch Locha Hai)
29. Naach Basanti (Hrishita Bhatt- Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho)
30. Afghan Jalebi (Katrina Kaif- Phantom)
31. Humne Pee Rakhi Hai (Divya Khosla Kumar- Sanam Re)
32. I Am Single (Shewta Sharma- Charlie Kay Chakkar Mein)
33. Daant Saiyaan Ne (Hazel Keech- Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat)
34. Jugni Peeke Tight Hai (Elli Avram- Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon)
35. Daddy Mummy (Urvashi Rautela- Bhaag Johnny)
36. Ishq Ka GGaram Masala (Poonam Chopra- Ranbanka)
37. Jawaani Le Doobi (Gauhar Khan- Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3)

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