Esha Goyal
ollywood has always set impossible standards for love, college life and a woman’s tolerance for the cold. I am still waiting for my dupatta to get caught on a handsome man's wristwatch but it just keeps getting stuck on doors. Now, while no Desi can do away with Bollywood, sometimes its creativity knows no bounds- it jumps over sense, tumbles away from a storyline and crashes straight into misogynistic views, bullying and harassment.
The resulting outcome?
Genius songs like: “You are my chicken fry, you are my wish fry, kabhi na kehna kudiye bye bye bye”
Here is a list of 10 Bollywood songs with problematic lyrics disguising harassment and threats as ‘love’.
1. “KAB TAK ROOTHEGI”- Haseena Maan Jayegi
Kab tak roothegi, cheekhegi, chillaaye gi?
Dil kehta hai ek din haseena maan jayegi.
Yes, because the way to a woman’s heart is constant harassment to the point she breaks and screams!
2. “TU CHEEZ BADI HAI”- Mohra
“Nahin teraa koi dosh dosh
Madahosh hai tu har vakt vakt
Tu chiz badi hai mast mast tu chiz badi hai mast”
Thank you for reducing me to a ‘thing’. I love being objectified, devoid of feelings, thoughts, and sense - said no woman ever!
3. “APUN BOLA, TU MERI LAILA”- Josh
“Yeh uska style hoyenga
Hothon pe na dil mein haan hoyenga”
No means No! Not respecting her first ‘NO’ does not make you Shahrukh Khan, but a harasser. Stop believing yes means no and no means yes just because you can’t accept rejection.
4. “CHITTIYAN KALAIYAN” – Roy
“O baby meri chittiya kalaiya ve
Chittiyan kalaiyan ve
O baby meri white kalaiyaan ve”
You can have chittiyan kalaiya, brown kalaiya, black kaliyan, pale kalaiya, green kaliyan (Hello Shrek) and be beautiful. What is troublesome here is the association of having white wrists with beautiful wrists. And just when I thought we were beyond colourism!
ALSO, “You're My Darling Angel Baby, White Kalaiyan Drives Me Crazy” What weird obsession does this guy have with wrists?
5. “BROWN RANG”- Honey Singh
“Ban mitra di whore
I mean mitra di ho”
Oh okay. The proposal of our dreams!
6. “TU MERE AGAL BAGAL HAI”- Phata Poster Nikla Hero
“Hai tujhpe right mera, tu hai delight mera
Tera rasta jo roku, chaukne ka nahin”
The stalker anthem- he has this unapproved idea of entitlement and will “rightfully” stalk you and block your way. To top it all, he tells you to not be alarmed by this pestering.
7. “GANDI BAAT”- R...Rajkumar
“Raja beta banke maine jab sharafat dikhayi,
Tune bola "hatt mawaali", bhaav nahi diya re,
Acchi baatein kar li bohot,
Ab karunga tere saath gandi baat.”
Because consent is just a formality.
8. “I LOVE YOU BOL DAAL”- Haseena Maan Jayegi
“Ay, kaiko mach-mach kar reli hai?
Maa kasam apni bhi thodi si hatt reli hai.
Naatak naatak chhod, seedha haan bol de.”
In real life, this song will be met with a tight slap and a trip to the police station. What is scary is that there is a whole section of impressionable youth out there who get inspired by these songs which result in eve-teasing.
9. “CHAL PYAR KAREGI”- Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai
“Chal pyaar karegi?” "Haan ji haan ji."
"Mere saath chalegi?" "Na ji na ji."
"Tu haan kar ya na kar, teri marzi. soniye.
Hum tujh ko utha kar le jayenge."
Oh god why?
10. “TERI KAMAR KO”- Great Grand Masti
“Tune jo dil ki baat na
Maani toh karega zabardasti,
Baahon mein aaja tu,
mil ke karein great grand masti.”
Thank god people did not watch this movie.
With all its faults, Bollywood continues to be in our hearts because it is sustained by creative minds that don’t believe audience ke saath “kuch bhi chalega”. Thank god for the likes of Zoya Akhtar, Alankrita Shrivastava and Imitiaz Ali, who deliver beautiful experiences through the big screen.