Veteran actor Shabana Azmi has once again weighed in on the portrayal of women in cinema, this time taking direct aim at item numbers and the larger culture of objectification surrounding them.
Speaking about how women are filmed on screen, she said intent lies in the lens itself. “How the camera moves over the body (of a woman) decides what the intention of the director is. In an item number, a woman loses all control and surrenders to the male gaze. So, she is objectifying herself. And some of the lyrics they sing, I find them extremely uncomfortable,” she told Mojo Story.
“If men can do such things, why can’t we?”
Shabana also questioned the argument often used to defend such performances. “Yet, a lot of women say, ‘If men can do such things, why can’t we?’ Just because men are willing to be objectified, why should you be too? I have a very big problem with that. ”
The actor pointed out that many of these songs exist independent of the film’s narrative arc. “It’s often a thing by itself,” she noted, expressing concern not just about filmmaking choices but about audience response as well.
“What then worries me is society’s reaction to it. You see little children singing songs like ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ at events, and people around laughing and encouraging them.
So, you are falling into the trap that’s been built for you. ”
Praising Zoya Akhtar’s sensitivity in ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’
In contrast, Shabana lauded filmmaker Zoya Akhtar for her nuanced portrayal of Katrina Kaif in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
“Katrina plays a diving instructor in the movie. She comes out of the water, dripping, wearing a bikini. Here, the camera holds her in long-shot. Once she wears her bathrobe, the camera goes for a close-up. Zoya could have chosen (a close-up) to go from her legs to her face, and objectify her. But the way she kept the camera made her into a working girl, doing what she had to do. You need that kind of sensitivity.”
