Bold And Brazen

I remember coming across a billboard during one of my road trips which had “Sex,” in big bold letters, written all over it. However, the sentence that followed read, “Now, that we have your attention, let us remind you about the polio drive!” Clearly, the advertiser knew that the S word would guarantee a lot more eye balls. And that’s an idea that a lot of our film-makers and entertainment strategists are latching on to as well. Vidya Balan’s sensuous moves (and a realistic portrayal of a soft-porn actress) in the film Dirty Picture ensured that the audiences flock to the theatres while porn star Sunny Leone’s entry into the Big Boss house was a well-planned move to increase the viewership of a jaded show (they call this increasing the “oomph” factor). Also, film-maker Mahesh Bhatt has decided to cast Sunny in his movie – Jism 2 which obviously would have sex as its leitmotif.

If you thought it is just women who have been strutting their stuff and vying for attention, then you are wrong. LMFAO’s latest pop ditty I am sexy and I know it has men stripping off . Closer home, our desi duo, Akshay and John tear their clothes and also spout a few unintelligent lines about the slow times forcing them to become male strippers. MTV had featured a similar account of Zak, a stripper in one of the most successful shows on television. TV and movie content is finally exploring fresh and controversial subjects like rave parties and drug addiction (Dum Maro Dum), homosexuality (Honeymoon Travels), pornography (Ragini MMS) for the sake of TRPs and higher box-office collections.

A few years back, the thought of anyone donning the role  of a gigolo or making libidinous gestures would have been unthinkable. Any mention of stripping shows or dance bars would be in hushed tones and sex was all about subtle innuendos. But, now a nation that has been exposed to Internet porn has no qualms about lapping up scenes of soft porn being played out unabashedly on the TV or movies. It is no longer a taboo to watch a “dirty” picture (without sweaty palms or squirming on seats). Donning swimwear is considered a smart move in the career graph of lead actresses and dancing to  suggestive numbers is no longer a  no-no. It seems that the nation that stirred up the world with Kama Sutra, is now gleefully partaking in the colorful celebration of sensuousness.

An easy way of promoting movies these days is uploading seedy shots featuring the actors on the net. Real-life porn stars are now facing the cameras in reality shows while a controversial figure like Veena Malik (whose revealing images were recently published) will now get a grand welcome to the small screen with a Swayamvar dedicated for her.

The Indian Censor Board used to control the quality and propriety of  movies. However, things have changed and it now deals differently with different production houses. For example, it clamped down heavily on Imitiaz Ali’s Rockstar for using words such as “bastard” and “sex” (which had to be later deleted from the movie). But on the other hand, it passed a movie like Delhi Belly which had the infamous Bhaag DK Bose song.

Besides, the board’s seal of approval no longer determines the financial fortunes of a movie. Since movies made today are in congruence with changing cultural, moral and social values, they cannot obviously be challenged on grounds of influencing mindsets. As boundaries of good taste and morals continue to change, the entertainment quotient will undoubtedly be subject to change as well. This certainly has led to the emergence of a bold, new wave in the entertainment arena. Will this wave wash away the tag of a “conservative India”? Well, only time will tell.

Pooja Nair likes to look at the sunnier side of things. Writing is her hobby as well as passion an she has attempted different genres of writing. One of her short stories have been featured in a book titled Inner Voices that was published internationally. Additionally, three of her short stories were published in the Chicken Soup for Indian Woman series. She writes regularly for Indian weeklies and ezines.