This piece is a musical thread linking two of my abiding areas of curiosity: girls’s work and Hindi movie songs. By way of my analysis I’ve been arguing that blanket assertions equivalent to “Indian girls don’t work (for a dwelling)” mirror a superficial understanding of the situations that outline girls’s work, and a gross underestimation of Indian girls’s company.
These arguments presume a static unwillingness to enter the paid workforce on the a part of girls, and/or their incapability to transcend obstacles imposed by conservative social norms. As I present in my work, girls enter paid work when there may be work out there, regardless of the onerous and lopsided cultural norms that place virtually your entire duty of home chores on girls.
The place do Hindi movie songs enter the image? Like numerous others, I strongly imagine that Hindi movie music just isn’t solely an impartial style in its personal proper, however that the vary of conditions and feelings depicted in Hindi movie music is immense and extraordinary. Hindi movies have additionally served as a barometer of types of the socioeconomic state of a big a part of the nation. If certainly Indian girls don’t “work”, songs that present working girls ought to both be non-existent or few and much between. Is that actually the case?
It’s true that almost all movie songs (whether or not filmed on males or girls) depict both personal feelings equivalent to varied shades of affection, longing, despair, separation, grief, happiness – skilled solo or between romantic companions, or siblings, or mother and father and youngsters – or public feelings of nationalist pleasure or expressions of religiosity. Songs that present individuals engaged of their livelihood actions represent a smaller set throughout the universe of Hindi movie songs, and this holds for songs filmed on males or girls.
Since this piece is about girls, we must always observe that every character depicting a working girl doesn’t essentially have a music within the movie exhibiting her in her work settings. As an illustration, in Piku, Deepika Padukone performs an architect, however there isn’t any music that reveals her working as an architect. Fortuitously, there are a number of songs that present girls of their work/skilled settings, exterior of home chores or care work. Offered under is a partial listing.
Ladies in desk jobs on the workplace
La Ra Lappa: This pleasant music from the 1949 movie Ek Thi Ladki, shot in an workplace, has the traditional battle-of-the-sexes repartee between the ladies and men which seems timeless. The ladies within the stanza “aaj kal ke gents” accuse the lads of throwing their weight round with out doing a lot substantial work. The boys retort within the subsequent stanza that ladies are principally lazy. All they do is gown up and complain. The ladies within the subsequent stanza warn them “in the future we’ll take over these areas”. To emphasize that time, Meena Shorey actually sits on the workplace chair emphatically, with aplomb.
Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji: This lovely duet picturised on Yasmin and Johnny Walker from the 1955 movie Mr. and Mrs. 55 reveals a budding workplace romance. Yasmin, in a trendy Western gown, just isn’t coy when beneath the desk, she tells Johnny Walker that issues of affection are delicate, conveyed via hints and gestures (actually via the eyes). Together with her dimpled, mischievous smile she says, “I might train you (the fragile language of affection), however first bow to me.”
Jaaneman Jaaneman from the 1976 movie Chhoti Si Baat reveals Vidya Sinha in workplace work. It begins as a film-in-a-film music picturised on the superhit reel life/actual life pair of Hema Malini and Dharmendra that takes Amol Palekar on a flight of fancy imagining a lifetime of romance with Vidya Sinha. (The music is noteworthy additionally for the bizarre musical pairing of Asha Bhosle with Yesudas).
Lamha Lamha Zindagi Hai from the 2006 movie Company reveals Bipasha Basu as a company government, wearing trouser fits, working in an workplace.
Hey Ya! Deepika Padukone works in the identical workplace as Farhan Akhtar in Kartik Calling Kartik (2010).
Heer to Badi Unhappy Hai from the 2015 movie Tamasha reveals Deepika Padukone proven working in a company workplace, together with profitable accolades for her work, as everybody claps.
Ladies within the medical occupation: nurses or medical doctors
Tum Pukar Lo from the 1969 hit Khamoshi, has Waheeda Rehman taking part in a nurse in a psychiatric hospital. This music doesn’t absolutely make the reduce for this listing because it doesn’t truly present her performing nursing duties, however it’s set within the hospital setting.
Mera Yaar Yila De: This haunting music from Saathiya (2002) describes Vivek Oberoi’s hunt for Rani Mukerji, however contains quite a lot of footage of her at work at medical clinics.
Hass Nach Le from the 2016 Udta Punjab reveals Kareena Kapoor taking part in a health care provider who runs a drug rehabilitation clinic.
Ladies as sportspersons
Badal Pe Paon Hai from Chak De! India (2007) is the background music exhibiting the journey of the Indian girls’s hockey workforce to the world championship in Australia. The workforce are usually not solely underdogs within the international race however many of the particular person gamers are themselves from marginalised sections throughout the Indian inhabitants. The sight of the India T-shirts and the nationwide tricolour with this effervescent music within the background is assured to present each Indian goosebumps.
Dhaakad is one other inspirational music, this one from Dangal (2016) reveals the journey of two intrepid ladies who go on to turn into wrestling champions beating boys. The rap-like music begins with the umpire telling a boy, “Watch out, she is a lady,” to which she responds, “Beware, don’t deal with me like a lady.”
Ladies within the media
Dilli Dilli from No One killed Jessica (2011): Rani Mukerji performs a journalist who performs a essential position in making certain justice for Jessica Lal. The music reveals her at work in a number of photographs.
Khabar Nahi Priyanka Chopra works for the style and life-style journal Verve in Dostana (2008). The music reveals her at work in several settings.
Pal Pal Har Pal: Vidya Balan performs a radio jockey in Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), and the music opens along with her within the studio.
Rani’s Intro Theme: Alia Bhat performs the spunky Rani, a TV anchor and journalist within the 2023 superhit Rocky aur Rani kii Prem Kahaani. This Bangla rap introduces her preparing and attending to work within the newsroom.
Ladies as Police Officers
Mardaani Anthem: In Mardaani (2014), Rani Mukerji performs a police officer who’s a crusader in opposition to sexual exploitation of ladies. On this music, we see her performing stunts, chasing criminals and rescuing girls.
Ladies as politicians
Salaam Kijiye: Suchitra Sen performs a politician in Aandhi (1975), a movie that received banned through the Emergency in 1975, as Sen’s character was allegedly loosely based mostly on Indira Gandhi, then India’s Prime Minister. This music reveals the public mocking her whereas she is on a marketing campaign path.
Ladies as crooks, spies
Sab Janta Ka Hai: Shabana Azmi and Neetu Singh play pickpockets within the 1977 movie Parvarish. They’re feminine Robin Hoods who steal from the wealthy and provides to the poor. The (forgettable) music rails in opposition to personal wealth and hails the notion of individuals’s possession.
Bunty Aur Babli Title Monitor: Rani Mukerji performs an unscrupulous and bold swindler with the proper swag and aplomb within the 2005 blockbuster Bunty aur Babli. Because the very good lyrics by Gulzar inform us, “Aisa koi saga nahi, jisko thaga nahi” (they didn’t spare anybody, not even their closest kin).
Ae Watan: In Raazi (2018), based mostly on a real-life story, Alia Bhatt performs a spy within the guise of a faculty instructor.
Ladies as college academics
Tumse Milke Dilka Jo Haal: In a bigger than life, dream-like sequence, Shah Rukh Khan expresses his love for the glamorous college instructor Sushmita Sen in a enjoyable multi-starrer music in Foremost Hoon Na (2004).
Madamji Go Simple: In Hichki (2008), college students play unkind pranks on Rani Mukerji’s character, a faculty instructor with Tourette’s Syndrome.
I want to finish by mentioning a movie that showcases an unrecognised however essential work class.
Tera Mera Saath Rahe: This music reveals Nutan in Saudagar (1973) doing principally home chores. She performs the spouse of a gur (jaggery) vendor. It’s her labour that converts date palm juice into scrumptious jaggery, the sale of which is the supply of their livelihood. Her husband doesn’t recognise her enter into gur-making and leaves her for a youthful girl, who just isn’t as expert at making gur. As his jaggery gross sales and revenue plummets, he realises his first spouse’s financial worth and begs for her to take him again. She refuses.
Ashwini Deshpande is Head and Professor, Division of Economics and Founding Director, Centre of Financial Information and Evaluation at Ashoka College.
