Some mast mast memories

Raveena Tandon earned the tag of the mast mast girl with the 1994 chartbuster hit Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast from Mohra, and close to twenty years later, she is still enjoys that status.

Raveena Tandon earned the tag of the mast mast girl with the1994 chartbuster hit Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast from Mohra, and close to twenty years later, she is still enjoys that status. Such has been the popularity of the song over the years.

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Predictably, it has been nominated to the list of Cinema @ 100, a Fever and Hindustan Times initiative that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The 6 minute, 25 seconds number was written by Anand Bakshi and composed by Viju Shah.

Though it was crooned by Udit Narayan nd Kavita Krishnamurthy, not many know that the latter was not the first choice for the song. Shah wanted singer Sapna Mukherjee to sing it but director Rajiv Rai insisted that his choice was Kavita. The song, picturised on Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon, is based on the popular qawwali Dam Mast Qalandar by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Actor Raveena Tandon, who looked gorgeous in a white outfit in the song, was in fact unwell during the shoot. She was shooting two films at that time and fainted during the shooting. Raveena said that it was “a hectic dance routine” and the heat got to her.

Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast

Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon

Sung by:

Udit Narayan, Kavita Krishnamurthy

Film:

Mohra

Year:

1994

Composer:

Viju Shah

Lyrics:

Anand Bakshi

Did you know?

Actor Raveena Tandon who popularised Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast with her moves may not have done the song after all, as she was not the first choice for the film, that went on to become the second highest grossing Indian film of 1994 and earned a Blockbuster status. The original choice was Divya Bharti, but after her death, Raveena was signed for the film. Aishwariya Rai too, was considered but the actor was representing India in the Miss world contest and thus couldn’t do the film.