Veteran actor Shabana Azmi once again spoke candidly about issues within the film industry, sharing her views on the portrayal of women in item numbers during a recent public appearance in Mumbai. Known for addressing social and cultural topics, the actor reflected on how such songs often rely on sensual imagery and what that means for representation in cinema.
Azmi was speaking at the We The Women event in Mumbai when she discussed how visual storytelling in films can influence the way women are perceived on screen. “Cinema is defined by the image. So when you have disconnected images, like for example, a heaving bosom, or shaking navel, you cut them into fragments and how the camera moves around the body is what decides what the intention of the director is. I feel in an item number, a woman loses all control and surrenders to the male gaze,” Azmi said.
The actor further explained that she personally finds such portrayals uncomfortable, especially when they are not connected to the narrative of the film. “So she is objectifying herself, and some of the lyrics which she is singing... I find it extremely, extremely uncomfortable and I disagree with it. A lot of women say that if males can do it then why shouldn't we do it? But if the males are willing to get objectified why should you agree to get objectified?” she added.
Azmi also expressed concern about how audiences sometimes engage with these songs without paying attention to their lyrics or underlying meaning. “I have a very big problem with that and most of the time it has nothing to do with the story. It is a thing by itself. What then worries me is the society's reaction to it, because then you go to these functions and there are little children singing ‘Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai’ and everyone is laughing at them. Nobody is paying attention to the words and are just going with it,” she said.
On the professional front, Shabana Azmi will next be seen in Imaginary Rain, directed by celebrity chef-turned-filmmaker Vikas Khanna. The film recently held its first screening.
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