I’m a Hindu, and I Oppose Hindutva

 

Nrityangana: Women Dancers of Indian Cinema

Dance through ages has been an integral part of Indian cinema. With the emergence of sound, Indian cinema has made songs and dance sequences a key feature. It started with Alam-Ara (1931), Shirin Farhad (1931) and Indrasabha (1931). But through the ages there has been a great shift in the elements of dance. These changes are due to the use of camera and cinematography and also to a great extent the way popular cinema has represented the dancers on screen. Therefore, we see, these dance performances in the films have not only been incorporated for mere entertainment, but also for the development of the film, as they are used as a storytelling device too.

The wide celebration, fetishization and the stigmatization around song and dance, not just plays an important role in Hindi cinema but even regional cinema has been influenced by the song and dance phenomena. We have seen even in the regional movies how dance has made an important part of the films. However, when we have a closer look at the dance sequences in the films, women dancers are the ones who are mostly seen on screen. The reason might be the Indian myth about Apsaras or the history of Devadasis (dancing women), as women dancers has been a part of Indian culture and even a part of Natyashastra as Nayika. There is a myriad representation of women dancers that we have watched, from authentic classical performances, cabaret to the big budget so called “item songs”. Whatever the reason or form of dance might be, visual appeal has played the prominent role. This visual representation of the female body is witnessed in every other film.

Mughal-e-Azam

The fascination of films has always reinforced the already pre-existing patriarchal formation, this is most evident in the dance sequences of the films. These dance sequences with mostly a woman dancer in the lead reflects and reveals the way the makers and choreographers intentionally or unintentionally re-enforce the socially established sexual discrimination. This societal gender difference is portrayed in the images, and picturization of the bodily movements of these women dancers. The Indian film industry has always witnessed various talented and trained dancers like, Padmini, Sri Devi, Shobana Chandrakumar, Manju Warrier, Madhuri Dixit, Aditi Rao Hydari and so on. The Indian cinema is incomplete without a song and dance sequence. Be it Mughal-e-Azam (1960 Hindi), Devdas (2002 Hindi), Manichitrathazhu (1993 Malayalam) or Bajirao Mastani (2015 Hindi).

Manichitrathazhu

However, if we have a closer look, we find that the focus of the makers has always been on fulfilling the visual pleasure of the male audience. The result being that the dancers are picturized in the most erotic body movements, the camera highlighting certain body parts of the woman. While completely ignoring and overlooking the beauty of the art and the caliber of the artist. Thus, we may say that the dance sequences in the films and the portrayal of women dancers have always catered to the ‘male gaze’. The ‘male gaze’ may be defined as the perspective of a typical heterosexual man who is considered as the only intended audience of a film or any other visual media whose tendency is to objectify and sexualize the women on screen. Though in dance sequences like, Pinga (Bajirao Mastani), Mere Dolna (Bhool Bhulaiya), Ghoomar (Padmavat), Dhithiki Dhithiki (Ennum Eppozhum) there has been a special focus on the dancers and her art. These dance performances play an important role in the narrative of the film. At the same time, these dance sequences are a major part of their character development.

The makers focus on the body movements of the women dancers which have been stylized and created in a way to please the male protagonist on screen and the male audience off screen.  Be it the unwanted ‘item songs’ in the middle of any film, which serves no purpose whatsoever in progress of the film or the plot. An item song can be viewed as the degradation of womanhood where the main lead or the female dancer (exclusively casted for the dance) is projected dancing on a sexualized choreography accentuating the body parts of the woman through her movements. These songs are filled with misogyny and are highly derogatory in every possible way. We see that the makers of the film reduce the female character, (who is the dancer in the song) into mere object of visual and sexual value. We see the woman on screen represented only to appeal to the heterosexual masculine eye. Over time we have been accustomed to this representation of women dancers to the extent that we have normalized it. We constantly see in several movies that women dancers are hypersexualized.

Still from Urukkiyo from Bahubali.

Filmmakers must keep in mind that we live in a patriarchal society where there is an inherent misogyny constantly at play. The constant objectification of women dancers in the movies has real-life impacts. It gives men the idea that it is permissible to look at women from a sexual viewpoint. This is because mainstream cinema has presented a single narrative of how women are, the sexualization of women on screen forces the men to believe that this is something they should aspire for. Watching these ‘item songs’ from a young age feeds the idea of being desired by a man in the minds of young girls too. This also makes girls and women think that a random man has the right to scrutinize and sexualize her body. At the same time these songs have a negative impact on the boys too that they have an upper hand in the society and women are mere objects for sexual pleasure.

Udi from Guzaarish

Who does not like to move their body to a foot tapping dance number? But it’s high time the makers stop capitalizing the female body and start representing them as subjects rather than objects. Though we have seen several dance performances which have had impeccable and intricate choreography. Rani Mukherjee’s effortless belly dance in ‘Aga Bai’ (Aiyaa), is still etched in our memory. Even Aishwarya Rai dancing to ‘Udi’ (Guzaarish) is a well-choreographed flamenco act with captivating expressions. These dance sequences have celebrated the women body in an aesthetic way, but unfortunately remain underrated gems.

Image sources:

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthemitpost.com%2Fwomen-indian-cinema-tale-representation%2F&psig=AOvVaw1t9gTZTgyVC6AMY6nl3Li-&ust=1622614982046000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKD9xKHm9fACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAs

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lyricaldelights.com%2F2016%2F08%2F20%2Fbaahubali-urukkiyo-song-lyrics-and-translation%2F&psig=AOvVaw3En1Oj7qmlegj3yQMYy5gx&ust=1622616008427000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNDPq_fp9fACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumgir.com%2Ftag%2Fudi%2520teri%2520aankhon%2520se&psig=AOvVaw0n8aowCP0Ip2KFvywFslLu&ust=1622616473934000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNj-heHr9fACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthemitpost.com%2Fwomen-indian-cinema-tale-representation%2F&psig=AOvVaw2mJ1ehOag67ruiGPk9lNHb&ust=1622616664573000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLD46Kjs9fACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD