CENSOR IT UNLESS SHE CAN DANCE
No Bollywood blockbuster feels complete without that one irresistibly catchy dance number. You know the one: shimmering outfits, high-energy choreography, and a magnetic woman front and center. Often labeled as “item girls,” these performers light up the screen in what we call “item songs.”
From Mehabooba Mehabooba (1975) to Baby Doll (2014) , these dance sequences have become cultural artefacts that showcase certain aspects of femininity related to desire and sexuality. They flaunt desire, sensuality, and femininity but not without controversy. Because here's the twist: while these songs boldly put female sexuality on display, the rest of Bollywood often seems squeamish about it. Female leads are still mostly boxed into roles of innocence and passivity. So, why is overt sexuality okay in song, but taboo in story?
This contradiction hasn’t gone unnoticed. Scholars and cultural critics continue to ask: are item songs empowering women or objectifying them? Are they feminist anthems in disguise or just entertainment draped in sequins?
So are item songs empowering or objectifying? How are filmmakers using these songs to portray sexuality?
Within the overarching context of mainstream Bollywood Movies, particularly in the realm of item songs, women find themselves situated within a complex patriarchal framework. These cinematic representations do not fully grant women individual agency. Often, they serve as mere spectacles rather than genuine reflections of women in a contemporary post-feminist Indian society.
The amalgamation of censorship, cultural context, and stylistic choices in Bollywood item songs have led to conflicting portrayals to femininity in item songs. The influence of Bollywood culture is unmistakably reflected in the deliberate designation of the ‘item girl’ as an ‘outsider, strategically positioned to bear potential backlash stemming from the overt depiction of sexuality in item dance sequences.
Item songs do continue to evolve. From the sultry mystery of Mehbooba to the unapologetic attitude of Sheila from Sheila Ki Jawani (2010), these performances have shifted in style, attitude, and intention. Some argue they now reflect stronger, more independent female characters. Others say the male gaze still runs the show.
Sunny Leone’s Baby Doll, where she is portrayed as an independent agent who likes expressing her sexuality and has male and female background dancers for her own pleasure, encourages the idea that taking agency of your own sexuality without repressing it can lead to an understanding of how a ‘raunchy’ song can shift the narrative from the ‘male gaze’ to female sexuality through similar visual elements.
Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava (2021) is a very recent example of a more drastic shift in the elements of an item song. It looks like an item song, but the lyrics hit differently. Instead of playing along, it calls men out. It speaks directly to the way women are policed, judged, and blamed, no matter what they wear or how they move.
So yes, the sequins are still sparkling. The beats remain the same. But the narrative? That’s shifting slowly. Item songs are staring to talk back to the audience, to tradition, to patriarchy.
Are they still complicated? Yes. But maybe the controversy that comes with these item songs is always a plus for a movie.
