UAE-Based Kalpana Iyer On Going Viral Again With 'Ramba Ho' After 40 Years

2026-02-04 02:49:52

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) She let loose a viral onslaught online when she danced at a wedding in Siluguri to Ramba Ho, her song from the 1981 film Armaan. The song that has been reused in the Aditya Dhar movie Dhurandhar has gained traction today. Dubai-based Bollywood actor and dancer Kalpana Iyer, though, is amused, happy and ecstatic at all the renewed attention.

“What started out as a performance at a sangeet in Siliguri following the wedding of a friend's son caught attention. I didn't know till the next morning that it had become viral,” says the actor who has been a Dubai resident for over two decades. It was her nephew who told her she had gone viral and then the phone calls started pouring in.

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With interviews flooding in across India, and several known Insta pages replaying the exuberance of her dance moves, how does she see it all?“It is serendipitous, and I am grateful for this sudden attention when I was least expecting it,” she says.

The feisty number from the 1981 film was sung by Usha Uthup and filmed on Kalpana Iyer and Prema Narayan with the Goa carnival as a theme. In fact, in 2018, at the launch of Filmfare Middle East in Dubai at Bollywood Parks, the duo had set the stage on fire with the same song.

What about the flouncy outfits seen in the original?“The outfits were inspired by my own collection of skirts I had picked up from Fiji. My designer Allan Gill was hunting for a good outfit for the song and I asked him to check out my purchase from Fiji from one of its flea markets. When he saw the skirt, he danced. It was this lovely wrap around flouncy pink skirt perfectly suited for the song. He added to it by creating blouses made of roses for us - Prema wore the pink one, I wore the blue.”

Allan designed all of her clothes except the ones in Hum Saath Saath Hain.

The entire shoot of the song wasn't held in Goa but at the pathway leading to Natraj Studios in Mumbai.“The Sagars created an extensive set of the carnival with people wearing satin shirts, walking on stilts, etc. - this was merged with the actual Goa carnival,” she adds.

Kalpana recounts that she was very busy those days, and the song didn't have rehearsals.“I had developed a sort of camaraderie with the choreographers who knew what I could do. So the only brief I got for Ramba Ho was, 'be happy and be yourself.” The only time she did rehearse was in a film called Abdulla that starred Sanjay Khan and Zeenat Aman, where she was choreographed by Astad Deboo.

Watch the original video here:

Often songs like these would come to her after the film was made and the distributor would ask the producer to add her song.“I had to squeeze the time to shoot in-between my already busy schedules back then," she adds.

Kalpana recalls working two shifts a day and sometimes 24 hours too, depending on the urgency of the project.“Most of my songs were done in discos and we started at 7am and had to shut at 7pm because the place would be open for business.”

What does she think of the shooting schedules of stars in the industry today?“I am an 'over giver,' with a capital 'O' and have always been considerate of the producer's time and effort, as well as my working hours. I would often think of the larger picture and work accordingly. Despite discomfort and pain, I always prioritised the producer's investment in the project and made sure I was on time, and my work was done well,” she says.

Would she reconsider that if she were to work today?“That kind of work has cost me my health today. So if I could go back and make that change I might.”

So, how would her skin care, fitness, rest and recuperation fit into continuous working patterns?“There are some children blessed with God's hand on them, and I didn't much avail on professional services all the time. I loved doing my hair and makeup, and would experiment with my eye makeup, golden braids for my hair, etc.”

It is interesting that Kalpana wasn't even going to this wedding, but her nephew convinced her and booked her trip.“My son Rohan and my sister Kavita were with me throughout. I lived in luxury and attended Siddhant's wedding. Siddhant's parents and my friends Renu Manjunath and Manjunath looked after me so well. This was at their son's sangeet. I am grateful to God. It is not what I expected but I accept it humbly,” she concludes.