Tag: item song
“Tattad Tattad” (Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, 2013)
“Tattad Tattad” is my platonic ideal of an item number: catchy, fun, a performance by a gorgeous actor, colorful visuals. Because this is a male item number, the focus is on Ranveer Singh’s desirability and […]
“Girls Like to Swing” (Dil Dhadakne Do, 2015)
The YouTube thumbnail for “Girls Like to Swing” shows Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma smiling into the camera, beckoning the viewer to join them. The camera is tight on their faces, and Sharma’s hand rests […]
“Aap Jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi” (Qurbani, 1980)
Item numbers not only provide an opportunity to titillate and perhaps offer some relief between dramatic scenes, they provide the opportunity to play. Because they are designed to be subversive, item numbers can have fun […]
“Dard-e-Disco” (Om Shanti Om, 2007)
Are item songs about power? Is sex about power? An item song is an opportunity to show off a body. I was about to add this is also an opportunity to use sexually charged lyrics, […]
“Kamli” (Dhoom 3, 2013)
“Kamli” is an acrobatic strip tease. Katrina Kaif performs alone, amidst metal and sparks, as others watch. Aamir Khan sits in a chair, watching, unimpressed. She starts the song fully clothed, but it is clear […]
Dancing Around Item Numbers
Short answer: I enjoy item numbers. Long answer: Every feminist has to wrestle with media and decide what they will tolerate, what they will turn off their brain for, what they will refuse to engage […]
Feminist Bollywood 