Girls, Will You Marry Me If I Stalk And Secretly Shoot Your Videos? Akshay’s New Song Thinks So!

It is no news that Bollywood, over the years, has become the epicentre of things that are fundamentally wrong. No, I am a Bollywood buff just like you and I respect the medium for its efficiency in moulding mass-opinion but I can no longer ignore the fact that most of it is used and abused to send out wrong messages to the society. And believe me when I say this, ‘ladki ke na main hi haan hai,‘ is just the tip of the iceberg.

While the debate and discussion to curb misogyny and gender violence in India is still on, Bollywood, at its own convenience, is still contributing to the tirade by objectifying women in hyper-sexualised item numbers! When it is not doing that, it is busy documenting the relentless wooing of aashiqs and glorifying stalkers/stalking!

The latest example of infamous culture is Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar’s new song, ‘Hans Mat Pagli Pyaar Hojayega’ (because what is consent?) from ‘Toilet-Ek Prem Katha’.  

Albeit the song starts like an innocent ode to ‘love’ it quickly turns downright CREEPY!

 

Akshay’s character who is certainly smitten by Bhumi’s character (there is wind blowing in slo-mo), is not only stalking her…

 

But the ‘HERO’ is also going around taking her pictures and shooting videos without her knowledge/consent!

 

Not once but more than I can count!

 

If you think I conjured this up, watch this video to believe! 

My point is, if the filmmakers had put in little effort, as much as the effort of making the protagonist climb a tree to sneaky pictures, the song would have done some justice to Sonu Nigam’s voice.

I am aware that the movie is a satirical take on the battle against the age-old tradition of open defecation in the country but I’m not exactly able to fathom as to why the regressive and most sexist trademark of Indian cinema keeps finding the place in 2017!

You might even argue that I should hold my horses and it’s ‘just a movie’, but let me remind you of the countless impressionable minds who adore and emulate their favourites actors. In a country like India, where stars are considered demi-Gods, the consequences of such frivolous filming are LETHAL.

So, dear Bollywood would you please own up to your deeds and look at this glorification for what it is- harassment? 

Yours Truly,

A big Bollywood buff.