Images

This item song features children, and you'll never guess why

This item song features children, and you'll never guess why

An Indian artist hopes to raise awareness about the possible negative impact of item songs on young minds
06 May, 2016

Item numbers have been a hotly debated film element, both in Pakistani cinema and Bollywood.

One Indian artist Ram Subramanian has tried to make a case against them with the following public service message:

Shot in the style of an item number, the PSM features a dancer who is soon surrounded by adolescent boys, who hoot and cheer as she performs.

The video closes with a link to a Change.org petition, which refers to item numbers as "unregulated adult content" and appeals to the Indian government to regrade item numbers. Based on the premise that exposure to adult content has led to an increase in sexual violence in the country, the petition asks that the cycle of habitual conditioning of young minds to see women as sexual objects is broken.

Comments

Concerned May 06, 2016 07:22pm
This awareness won't work. Industry will make money with item songs and it will consume everyone!
Recommend
Ashraf May 06, 2016 07:28pm
Cannot agree less. Women in Indian movies are displayed as sexual objects only.
Recommend
aslam shaikh May 06, 2016 08:08pm
Yes Indian moral values have degraded and women are in danger. UN should take notice and send people to protect them.
Recommend
Thoroughthinker May 06, 2016 08:23pm
What really is the purpose of keeping item numbers in films?
Recommend
Absano May 06, 2016 08:41pm
good message. this needs to be shouted from rooftops. Indian item numbers are breaking records of vulgarity in lyrics and dance moves and are available to audiences of all ages in Pakistan too. When this generation grows up, it wont be able to tell the difference between decent content and excessive sexual innuendo. Dont let this become the Normal. Scale it back now adults, please.
Recommend
anil sahu May 06, 2016 10:19pm
@Ashraf n aldo in lollywood
Recommend
Khan May 06, 2016 10:20pm
@Ashraf - That just how its all over the world not just India
Recommend
Jag May 06, 2016 11:02pm
@Ashraf ...and in Pak movies?
Recommend
Soulspeek May 06, 2016 11:34pm
@Ashraf What aboit Shurli, Billi type videos in Lollywood.... and world famous Pakistani mujras? I guess, you did not see them ;)
Recommend
KHK May 07, 2016 02:47am
agree
Recommend
Truth0 May 07, 2016 03:12am
Under develop countries will never learn. Shame
Recommend
Balak Desi May 07, 2016 03:39am
If bar tender virtually ruled over India and made $4 Billion in ten years then item numbers are needed to drug the natives. That is why drugged Anarkalis danced so that the loot and plunder of natives goes on.
Recommend
ak4pk May 07, 2016 06:23am
Its a bit late in the day, the gene is out of the bottle. It is virtually impossible to censor the adult material that is out there and more so when the means/tools to reach them is in most children's hands. The most one can do is to teach the children right from wrong and hope for the best. Children should not be made a party to shoots of the nature as portrait in the clip above, the person responsible should be brought to book, involving children directly as such is unacceptable. But now a days money comes before morality. Sad it has come to this.
Recommend
CasualObserver May 07, 2016 06:23am
In this day and age, when women all over the world are gaining momentum in the academic field, sports, politics etc, and are still striving to be valued for their minds rather than looks, it is terrible that they are still displayed like objects in the film industry. Utterly degrading.
Recommend
wasim May 07, 2016 06:39am
reminds me the "daur of jialiat" in pakistani cinema, and our children watching!
Recommend
Ahmar Qureshi May 07, 2016 09:27am
Money, sex, in full control, a generation without soul...
Recommend
agha May 07, 2016 10:52am
@ak4pk the children were shot separately
Recommend
mantharia May 07, 2016 10:55am
This remind me olden days when sons of riches were send to house of ill repute to learn how to respect woman .
Recommend
Kamran Ullah May 07, 2016 11:48am
When these children would grow up how would extend respect to the female gender.? Such songs further degrade the integrity, honour and respect of women in our society women are represented as tool of pleasure.
Recommend
Ahamed May 07, 2016 12:01pm
world is full of people like that
Recommend
khanman May 07, 2016 01:22pm
putting children in it is their headache, even if they dont cast one way or other those children will watch it on tv in their home, thing is that everything start from home , my sincere advise is that we pakistanies should restrain turning on movie channels at home especially when kids around. because what they did is ok its done but now how to prevent our kids, reminds of a kid 2-3 years back during bakra eid asking his father in bakara mandi abu abu ye bakra dekhein kitna "sundar" hai. :)
Recommend
Iztraab May 07, 2016 05:39pm
@Soulspeek there is a difference. Pakistani public do not support mujras where Indians are proud of bollywood item songs.
Recommend
Iztraab May 07, 2016 05:46pm
Item no. Are part of Indian culture and they are OK with objectification.
Recommend
Muhammad May 08, 2016 05:10pm
@khanman What is wrong if the kid said the word "sundar"? just because its a word of Hindi (something associated with India) it should be looked down upon? Why dont we raise this question when we frequently mix english words in our vocabulary. Infact if Hindi and Indian culture is so bad then we should not speak the languages we speak in Pakistan including Urdu as the same have loads of Sanskrit origin words. This is the age of globalization and cultural amalgamation will bound to happen. Plus we Pakistanis are South Asians and we have culturally inherited equally from both Middle East and indigenous South Asian culture and we should be proud of the same. Yes we should stand against vulgarity and wrong things which may affect our generations to come but lone words from different languages is not the right argument. P.S I am a Pakistani Muslim if you might be wondering.
Recommend
j90 May 08, 2016 09:46pm
@Thoroughthinker Just to make money by attracting more viewers.
Recommend