Rohit Shetty’s comedy film Cirkus, starring Ranveer Singh, Varun Sharma, Pooja Hegde and Jacqueline Fernandez, is awfully low on comedy, except for these six classic Hindi film songs used in comic moments that piqued our interest.

Aao Twist Karein

Cirkus is a story about two sets of twins — both named Roy (Ranveer Singh) and Joy (Varun Sharma) — who live in different cities. The first pair run a circus in Ooty, while the other live in Bangalore. Ooty’s Roy has a miraculous power to absorb electric shocks. Unbeknown to him, the effect of this shock is felt by his twin in Bangalore.

We learn about this comic Judwaa effect at the beginning of the movie when Roy in Bangalore visits a bookstore. With Manna Dey’s voice reverberating throughout the theatre, the Bhoot Bungla (1965) song plays out as Roy wreaks havoc in the shop. In keeping with the lyrics, the characters receiving the shock from Roy break into a twist routine.

Johnny Mera Naam

The signature tune from Vijay Anand’s 1970 comedy film Johnny Mera Naam is a common refrain in the background score of Cirkus. Roy from Bangalore is seen getting out of a theatre, which screens the Dev Anand classic, with his girlfriend Bindu (Jacqueline Fernandez). Bindu’s father Rai Bahadur, played by an affable Sanjay Mishra, suspects Roy of being unfaithful to his daughter and follows him around town. The chase sequences come alive with Mishra’s quirky quips and Johnny Mera Naam.

Badan Pe Sitare

Siddharth Jadhav’s Momo, a petty thief on the run, boards a train from Bangalore to Ooty. The Bangalore siblings are also travelling on the same train on business. Momo is in desperate need of money and plans to rob Roy of his cash. In a twist of fate, Roy goes into electric spasm right when Momo is about to unzip his bag. No prizes for guessing, Momo gets the shock — quite literally – of his life. Mohammed Rafi’s Badan Pe Sitare from Prince (1969) plays in the background to drive home Momo’s misery.

Aa Jane Jaan

Sulbha ‘Kantaben’ Arya, who lives with Ooty’s Roy and his wife Mala (Pooja Hegde), meets the Bangalore duo at an eatery. Mistaking them for the Ooty pair, she drags them to the house. It happens to be Roy and Mala’s wedding anniversary and the two had a fight in the morning. In order to make up, Mala tries to woo Roy (the one who’s not her husband) as Aa Jane Jaan from the 1969 hit film Intaqam plays out in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. Mala tries to push Roy onto the bed while he runs around the room to escape her.

Piya Tu Ab To Aaja

When gangster Polson Bhai learns that his protege Momo has been electrocuted twice by Roy, he decides to take revenge. The gangster corners the Ooty pair in the market, daring Roy to give him the same treatment. Roy blasts a nearby transformer and treats Polson to an electric surprise. Asha Bhosle’s Piya Tu Ab To Aaja does poetic justice to the scene, which also pays a nod to the climax of Priyadarshan’s 2003 comedy Hungama.

Tu Kya Jane O Bewafa

At the peak of confusion and identity crisis for the Roy-Joy pair, Bindu’s father confronts the Ooty brothers at their circus, accusing them of ruining his daughter’s life. Bindu has also accompanied her father to find the truth for herself and Mala’s presence at the circus adds to her woes. Lata Mangeshkar’s Tu Kya Jane O Bewafa from Haath Ki Safai mirrors Bindu’s shattered heart.