Daily Times

Indian Filmmaker Karan Johar has been very vocal when it comes to issues of women empowerment. While the filmmaker was quite supportive and lauded the #MeToo movement that took Bollywood by storm, the actor recently, in an interview with Anupama Chopra also revealed his pledge to never have another item song in the Dharma movies.

According to the director, item songs are meant specifically for women to be objectified. Add to that, the fashionista also insisted that item songs have no role in furthering the plot of the film or have any significance, instead it is just a means to promote the film and entice the male audience. Furthermore, the word item too is demeaning to women as it means to belittle a woman and make her sound attractive and promiscuous. Item songs indeed are full of vulgar lyrics and shot in a way that keeps the focus on various body parts of the performer resulting in sexually-charged visual. And not just Dharma Productions, but several big and small banner films have used this as an integral tool to market it. However, Katrina Kaif, the actress who has done several item numbers in her career including the most popular ones – Sheila Ki Jawaani and Chikni Chameli, disagreed with Karan’s verdict on item numbers.

In an interview with the DNA, Katrina said the following: “Oh, I didn’t know that was said, but I feel very differently on the matter. I feel it’s all down to the individual who is performing the song. Madonaa, who I’m sure we all know of, I don’t think she is feeling objectified. I don’t think Beyonce who performs in a swimsuit on stage is feeling objectified. It’s all about how you feel while you are performing that song. I can tell you, I never felt objectified in ‘Chikni Chameli’. I enjoyed that song. I enjoyed the dance, I enjoyed what I was doing. I didn’t even for a moment felt objectified or brought any kind of wrong eyes on me. Not at all…There are many times when people ask me for songs and there’s no context to it. I won’t do it, nomatter how much I feel about dance. We don’t need to characterize it that every song that a woman is celebrating herself and performing, that’s not objectifying women. It all depends on the angle and lens it’s being seen.”

Published in Daily Times, December 18^th 2018.