Shabana Azmi Opens Up About Item Numbers In Bollywood!
Shabana Azmi opened up about item numbers & revealed that heroines are surrendering to the male gaze in the pretence of ‘celebrating your sensuality’ but in reality they are objectifying themselves.
Criticising
the
culture
of
item
numbers
in
Hindi
films,
veteran
actor
Shabana
Azmi
has
said
item
numbers
lead
to
sexualization
of
children.
Citing
the
lyrics
of
Salman
Khan-starrer
Dabangg
2,
where
Kareena
Kapoor
Khan
danced
on
Fevicol
Se,
Azmi
said
mouthing
those
lines
is
a
cause
of
concern.
"Please
be
informed,
when
you
say
'main
tandoori
murgi
hu,
gatka
lo
mujhe
alcohol
kay
saath'
and
a
four-year-old
girl
is
dancing
on
it,
you
are
leading
to
the
sexualisation
of
children
and
the
parents
who
are
enjoying
it,
people
who
are
encouraging
her
are
just
as
responsible."
In
a
panel
discussion
at
the
ongoing
FICCI
Frames,
Azmi
said
item
numbers
involve
a
woman
surrendering
to
the
male
gaze.
"I
have
strong
views
on
item
numbers
because
they
are
not
part
of
the
narrative
and
they've
been
put
in
a
film
for
the
only
purpose
of
titillation
and
nothing
else.
When
a
girl
or
a
leading
lady
says
'it's
alright,
I
want
to
celebrate
my
sensuality'
I
have
no
problem
with
that.
I
think
that's
wonderful.
But
under
the
pretence
of
'celebrating
your
sensuality'
what
you
are
actually
doing
is
surrendering
to
the
male
gaze
and
objectifying
yourselves
because
the
business
of
cinema
is
of
images,"
the
actor
added.
Azmi
said
it
is
problematic
when
people
are
shown
a
woman's
"fragmented
bits
of
her
body,
heaving
bosom,
swinging
navel,
shaking
hip",
as
it
robs
her
whole
autonomy.
Also
present
at
the
discussion
were
Vani
Tripathi
Tikoo,
CBFC
member,
Gayatri
Yadav,
president
and
head,
Consumer
Strategy
&
Innovation,
Star
India,
Apurva
Purohit,
president,
Jagran
Prakashan
Ltd
and
Tavleen
Singh,
political
columnist
and
author.