Ek Do Teen, and demean

And so, the much-awaited version of ‘Ek Do Teen’, from ‘Baaghi 2’, the extremely popular song from Madhuri Dixit’s Tezaab is out. And, on rather expected lines, lot of people are finding Jacqueline Fernandez HOT, SIZZLING, etc, which is okay per se. One is entitled to have an opinion on anything, after all. But, the picturisation of the song is what reiterates why so much is wrong in Bollywood’s ‘item numbers’.

What do we have Jacqueline doing in ‘Ek Do Teen’ then? It begins with men getting excited, Jacqueline entering with a ‘kick’ (of sorts), and then doing what can be described as a sexy pout. So far so good. But, after this is where the problem begins. There are some of these male dancers whose hands are near Jacqueline’s shoulders, and they help her in unzipping what we can call a jacket to reveal her suave figure and sensuous colour-studded bikini. She goes on to perform in the same scorching avatar as innumerable men gyrate around her, flashing lights and giving eerie expressions. See below

Nothing new? So what exactly is wrong with the song? The mind-set, perhaps. There is no harm in getting a good looking female to show off a well-toned body. And sensible males are all for women empowerment and equality. But, somewhere a line has to be drawn between cinematic liberty and vulgarity. This has been the case with so many item numbers, from Babuji to Fevicol Se. However, nothing really has changed, which reiterates nothing actually has been learnt.

On one hand, there is a rising wave promoting the cause of women being seen in the same vein as men, which they deserve to. And, a number of Bollywood personalities are also a part of this brigade. It is ironic then that such vulgar songs continue to find their place in big-budget movies. When we talk of respecting our women, aren’t we demeaning them through portrayal of such songs, which indirectly promote females as objects of sexual desire?

It can obviously be argued that item songs are nothing new in Bollywood, and have existed in the Indian film industry since as long back as Helen, and perhaps even before. But, times were different then. Men were a lot more sensible, perhaps because of less exposure to everything. And, the dance moves back then too weren’t as suggestive as they are today. Even Madhuri Dixit wore short clothes in the original ‘Ek Do Teen’. But, her dance moves, expressions and presentation of the song is what captured the imagination. Watch it below

In modern times, where so many criminal-minded males are just waiting to pounce on the opposite sex, a vulgar version of ‘Ek Do Teen’ is the last thing we need. Again, it can be contended that in times where there is so much that the common man is worried about – from PNB scam to paying taxes and struggling in almost every facet of life, what’s wrong with people wanting their daily dose of entertainment? Then again, do we really need our Bollywood heroines to be presented in a manner where they are only remembered for what kind of stuff they wear and how they titillate, rather than their overall acting skills?

(The views expressed are personal)