Exploring the Social Effects of Item Songs on Women in Hindi Cinema

Abstract

An Item Song is one such song with dance but having no relevance to the main story. In an item song, the ITEM is a gorgeous woman who immediately attracts attention with her shy gazes and her seductive dance moves. This research article addresses item songs and its history. It explores various aspects of it and the social impact on Indian society. An Item Song is made for two purposes: first, to bring material benefits to the producer and the team of the film. Second, to fulfill the desire of the male gaze by bringing in the theatre the object of desire in front of the audience. There are two opinions on it: When in item numbers, slices of the body are focused on, and the angles are only about the swiveling hips and the swinging navel, you make the woman surrender her autonomy to the male gaze. The other view is that I have a good body, why not show it off? Items songs are a challenge to the historical and cultural portrayal of women in stereotypical roles in Indian films. The item song in Indian films has given the liberty to Indian female to come out of the traditional set-up. They can now learn new dances, other than traditional Indian dances, and can have a career in them too.