We love dancing to them, but are we also complicit in the male gaze? In this episode, host Kriti J is joined by longtime friend and fellow Bollywood nerd Shruti S to unpack the complicated world of item numbers - the seductive, high-energy songs Bollywood can’t seem to quit.
Together, they create the Dirty Brown Test — a feminist lens for evaluating whether item songs like Choli Ke Peeche, Oo Antava, and Sheila Ki Jawani are empowering or just... problematic. Spoiler: the answers aren’t as obvious as you think. Tune in for hot takes, cultural commentary, and some serious Katrina Kaif appreciation.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro to episode
01:34 Introduction to Item Numbers in Bollywood
02:22 Defining Feminism in Item Numbers
04:08 The Dirty Brown Test: Evaluating Item Numbers
06:51 Choli ke peeche - A feminist perspective
12:18 Ooh Antava: A Contrast in Representation
20:43 Sheila ki jawani - Duality of empowerment and objectification
25:14 The role of female choreographers
27:58 Item numbers are here to stay. So, what now?
About Our Clips - We use short excerpts from various media in this episode for discussion, review, and commentary, consistent with fair use guidelines.
Official song videos - Choli ke peeche, Sheila ki jawani, Ooo antava
Music by - Kamalesh Siddu, Mykola Odnoroh from Pixabay
Instagram: @_dirtybrown_
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