Page 18 - Seniorstoday July 2024 Issue

on family honour created a framework in Bollywood.
that regulated sexual behavior. Over time
societal norms became more restrictive,
influenced by factors such as colonisation
and the impositions of the Victorian values,
sexuality became a hushed topic related to
the realm of secrecy and shame.
Image courtesy: The Statesman - Aa sajan mohe ang lagalo, even Choli ke
Hindi cinema has played an important role
in shaping opinions, beliefs and our attitude
towards sex. Women have been depicted
as near sex objects serving as eye candy
for the male gaze. From item numbers to
suggestive scenes Bollywood has a history
of resorting to such tactics to pique the
audience interest. This conveys that the
woman’s worth is solely based on their sex
appeal. Women have always been shown
as submissive, sacrificing and subservient
to the male and this is how society saw
women. Even parents expected their
daughters to conform to a certain norm of
restraint whereas their sons could be free.
A man could have more than one wife, the
king could have many wives who were
supposed to give him sexual pleasure. Raja
Dashrath (Father of Lord Rama) had three
wives and sons and daughters through
all the three wives. In the Indian context
sexual pleasure was meant for men and the
woman’s sole role was to fulfill this need.
However, this has now slowly changed and
women actresses now demand more diverse
and empowering representation of women
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Now come to the present-day Hindi
Cinema which has songs, dances that
depict sex and say it in so many words.
The word MILAN – Tere mere milan ki ye
raina - the night when we will have sex.
Ruth hai Milan ki or Bheege hoth teren -
pyasa dil mera isn’t it obvious what the
guy is meaning. It couldn’t get clearer with
Roop tera mastana or Aaj ki raat ek aisi
raat ke humko neend nahi aati. The song
peeche kya hai – doesn’t leave anything
in doubt. Translate that to “what’s behind
the blouse”. It’s very clear what the song
Sexy mujhe log bole, Hi Sexy, Hello Sexy
... etc. From suggestive lyrics of the song
means! Karishma Kapoor’s – Sexy Sexy
to the awkward glances of the characters,
Bollywood has perfected the art of teasing
the audience without fully committing to
the act itself. Now, what part of this don’t
you understand?
The over-the-top dance numbers and
the occasional steamy scenes can find
Indian audiences in the state of excitement,
bewilderment and even amusement.
Bollywood approach to sex is to use
innuendos and double entendres. There
was a movie which was in the pits, the title
was “Andheri raat me Diya tere haath me”
and the censors passed it because Dada
Kondake, the producer said it meant a
lamp in your hand in the dark night. But