India Reloaded by Dheeraj Sinha

Author:Dheeraj Sinha [Sinha, Dheeraj]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mobilism
Published: 2015-09-17T18:30:00+00:00

7

Sexy Everything

Seeking Titillation in Design, Tastes,

and Experiences

A Loss of Innocence

Chaar bottle Vodka, kaam mera roz ka, na mujhko koi roke, na kisi ne roka (four bottles of Vodka is my everyday fix, nobody should stop me, no one ever does)—this song, composed and sung by Indian rapper YoYo Honey Singh, for the Bollywood movie Ragini MMS 2, was top of the charts in India for many months, in 2014. It blared from speakers in cars, discotheques, parties, and homes alike. The mainstream success of the song is culturally interesting, because it celebrates alcohol unabashedly.

Alcohol in India has been a taboo. It’s seen as addictive and socially corrosive. Many movies have been made on how alcoholism has ruined lives. Songs around alcohol came with an apology or carried a sense of justification such as heartbreak— ”Mujhe peene ka shauk nahi, peeta hoon gham bhulane ko” (I don’t like drinking, I drink to forget my woes)—was a popular song from the Bollywood movie Coolie, made in 1983. A song from Namak Halal, released in 1982, was profusely apologetic – “Thodi si jo pee li hai, chori toh nahi ki hai” (I’ve had a bit to drink, it’s not as if I have robbed someone).

The only place where alcohol was in legitimate flow was in ghazals—Urdu poetry that expresses the pain and beauty of love. It isn’t a coincidence that low-end dingy bars and ghazals became synonymous. Yet references to alcohol remained out-of-bounds for the mainstream culture. YoYo Honey Singh has got alcohol out into the strobe lights of upscale lounge bars, the playlists of young India, and the radio stations. This is perhaps the first time that alcohol has been talked about in popular culture without any apologies. Honey Singh has put vodka on everybody’s lips, even if just in his lyrics.

Sunny Leone is an ex-porn star, of Indian-American origin, who was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003. She made her debut in India on the television reality show, Bigg Boss. Almost overnight, Sunny Leone turned into a popular culture phenomenon. She was trending on Google and added 8,000 followers within two days on Twitter.1 Since then, she has gone on to sign many projects for Indian television and Bollywood. Sunny Leone hit the popular charts with the song “Baby doll main sone di’’, which loosely translates as “I am a golden girl.” The song goes on to be more specific about her beauty – “Ae chan karda hai tareefa, ho mere husn de kone-kone di” (Even the moon is in praise of every part of my body). Obviously, a large part of Sunny Leone’s appeal and intrigue lies in her past as a porn star. This song also makes ample references to her physical beauty and is shot through a filter of sensuality.

With her background and the roles in movies and the songs that she has featured in, Sunny Leone represents the titillation that India is seeking today. Just like the YoYo Honey Singh song about vodka, you can

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