(Web Desk) - Indian cinema’s old ‘item song’ formula is no longer getting the easy pass it once did. What was earlier sold as mass entertainment, glamour or harmless fun is now being questioned sharply by younger audiences, especially when the camera, lyrics and choreography reduce women to bodies instead of characters.
MOUNI ROY
The latest discussion started after visuals of Mouni Roy as Shammo from Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai surfaced online.
Mouni’s role had already caught attention after the trailer showed her as Varun Dhawan’s mother in the David Dhawan film, a casting choice that the internet found bizarre because the two actors are close in age.
Now, her song visuals have sparked a different debate, with internet users calling out the familiar setup of one woman being surrounded by men, suggestive expressions and the same old commercial cinema gaze.
NORA FATEHI
This conversation is not happening in isolation. Nora Fatehi’s Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from KD: The Devil also faced major backlash for its lyrics and choreography.
The National Commission for Women criticised the makers, saying creative expression cannot come at the cost of women’s dignity.
JANHVI KAPOOR
Then came Peddi. Janhvi Kapoor’s role in the Ram Charan starrer became another flashpoint after viewers accused the film of objectifying her character and giving her little agency beyond being an object of desire. The criticism was aimed not just at the actress, but at the way the character was written, shot and presented on screen.