Misogyny, Sexism, Objectification- Bhojpuri Songs Leave No-Holds-Barred

Songs provide a whole different mood to the coherence of the plot of the movie. They are melodious and hence euphonious. But wait! We have almost a list of Bhojpuri songs waiting at our doorsteps to let us pick up on everything but euphony and common sense.

Misogyny and sexism are observant all through the lyrics coupled with sheer vulgarity. Sometimes, it’s ‘lipsticks,’ sometimes it’s ‘chunni’ and sometimes something worse than even ‘kamariya’ pops up in between the lyrics- unnecessarily and vulgarly.

To your (not so!) wonder, you can not listen to 5 random Bhojpuri songs in a loop without listening to expletives, abuses, obscenity, and all of them subjected to women. Today, we have brought some of the Bhojpuri songs to elaborate on that, and because we can not accommodate a loooong list in a single article, we have picked out 5 of the very infamous famous songs. Have a look:

1. Rhea toh R***i hai (Rhea is a prostitute)

Can you people imagine the sheer sexism plus vulgarity that only the title of this song portrays? Do the lyricist even know to respect women? Or they want to feed anything to the viewers for the sake of being famous. These people should be made to write it a hundred times on a paper: Rhea is innocent (a verdict of the court).

2. Tohra galiya ke dimple (The dimple of your cheeks)

Bhojpuri has its own way of saying -“Rosy lips, dimpled chin…”. And as the icing on the top, the first line itself immerses in the objectification of women: “Saj dhaj ke makeup kar k sughar lagelu” (Adorned and with make up on, you look sophisticated). The lyricist for sure gadha lagelu!!

The song goes like:

Saj-Dhaj Ke Makeup Ka Ke
Shughar Laage Lu

(Dolled up and with make up on you look sophisticated)

Balkha Ke Lachka Ke Kamariya Ho
Chalal Kara
(Continue your walk with moving and waving your waist like this)

Kar La Taareef More Raja Mann Behke
(Shower me praises my boy, I am driven crazy)

Chhuye La Ta Poora Dehiya Mein Aag Lehke
(As you touch, a fire blazes all over my body)

3. Gori tori chunri ba lal lal ho (Fair Girl, how glamorously red your dupatta is coloured)

One of the very famous Bhojpuri songs warns of misogynist content in the lyrics from the word “gori” and “chunri” itself.  Moreover, a line says- “Sabhe Chuval Chahe hamro gore gaal re” (add the translation here) …if the lyricist just allows me to touch his cheek with a tight slap.

Some of the lines from the lyrics say:

Jawne Kaalegwa me karelu padhaai
(No matter, whichever college you attend for studies)

Laika laika me hola ladai,
Hola ladai, hola ladai
(You become the cause of fights amongst boys)

Laika chilla lasan maal maal re
(Boys shout for you, what a chic)

Are chadhal jawaani par saal re
(You were full grown-up last year)

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4. “Laga Ke Fair Lovely” (By putting on Fair and Lovely)

Yes! A song with that title exists. A diehard lover asks her love interest, not about love, not about romance, not about life even but a simple (read sexist) question: “Laga ke fair and lovely jaan lebe ka re pagli” (Crazy Girl, are you planning to kill me the way you have put on Fair and Lovely). Somebody, please do the honours of answering him yes! Also, I realised fair and lovely and sexism can never be apart.

Just pay to heed the blatant objectification:

Dehalu badhu cut aisan lagataru bada hot ho
(Your body figure appears very hot)

Dekhiye ke dhila bhail jata body ke sara nat ho
(Only the view of which let me loose the control of my body)

Tohara jaisan…kitana janeke, jawaani se apana thagli
(I have made many alike you crazy with my youth)

Lagake fair lovely jaan lebe ka re pagli?
(O crazy girl, do you intend to kill me by applying fair and lovely?)

5. “Lollypop lage lu” (Looks like a lollypop)

Must have heard this song at some point in your life. Guess this song with exhilarating beats and stupid dancers in the background offer nothing but a description of how a lipstick, a nathuni, a baali can bring almost an entire “district” at unease. Listen to sense the sexism with every passing word.

The lyrics are:

Tu lagavelu Jab lipistic hilela aara distic

(When you apply lipstick,
The Aara district is shaken in awe)

Jilla top lalegu..
Ho jilla top lagelu..

(You appear the talk of the district
You look the best in the district)

Kamariya kare laapalap, lollypop laagelu

(When your waist moves,
It appears like a lollipop)

Galiya Pe Baliya Jhumme,
Mushki Pe Jhumme La Tata,
(Baliya waves on your cheeks
And Tata dances on your smile)

Gorakhpoor Devariyaan Mein Tohar,
Book Rahela Satta…
(You are already booked for concerts in
Gorakhpur and Devariyaa)

The existence of these songs makes me wonder that how could Bhojpuri lyricist not care an ounce about women other than thinking of their dimples, makeup, “lehnga”, “chunri” and every misogynist thing imaginable. Bhojpuri songs like “lehnge mein ghus ke” (entering inside your lehnga),  “gajab maal ba” (what a chick!), “hum leb” (i will take) made the singers of these songs- ‘stars.’ Could these ‘stars’ be less obsessed with “bhauji”, “lehngaa”, “jeans”, and think something of their own mentality, language, and stupidity- the height of stupidity.

These sleazy contents delved into sexism and misogyny need to be dismissed.  But who cares? A large part of our young generation is busy making these stars- the superstars because when the ‘object’ is women- who cares?

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