Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. Showing nudity and vulgarity is entertainment?

 


Nudity has been a part of art and aesthetics since times immemorial. From the infamous ancient carvings and sculptures at various temples to the most picturesque paintings have made use of the human body as their muse.Celebration of the human body has always been a part of both western as well as Indian traditions and cinema has been no exception to it. Yesteryear films such as Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Ram Teri Ganga Maili are still remembered more so for their sensually sari clad heroines, baring more than usual.films It is only in recent times that the portrayal of the human body has lost its aesthetic value and has become a tool for the mainstream commercial cinema to titillate the audience in order to garner more profits at the box office.



Gone are the days when a ‘Holi song’ showing people drenched in water and the mingling of two flowers served as the pretext to sexual innuendos. These days its about exposing it all, rather a bit too much, slipping into ‘soft pornography’ in the name of art. Filmmakers themselves confess that a raunchier song earns them wider audience, resulting in more profits.

There has been a surge in nudity both in films as well as ‘Over the Top (OTT)’ platforms. Voyeuristic frames aggravated by bawdy lyrics tends to have a negative impact on vulnerable young minds. The skin show these days is no longer a celebration of the body, specially the female body, but rather an ‘objectification’ of it, rendering it a spectacle to be gazed at. Romance has become synonymous with nudity, which is more often than not unrequired in terms of adding any significance to the larger plot. OTT platforms have experienced increased viewership over the years and one of the prime reason is that they certainly expose more, owing to the lack of restrictions and censorship as compared to films. The digital platform has been considered more democratic but often slips into obscenity in the name of creative freedom.



The debate boils down to the ‘demand and supply’ precis in Bollywood. It can be described as a perfect chick and egg situation- the filmmakers say its what the audience wants and the masses blame it on the movies for casting a shadow on the so called Indian sanskaar and values.

One can argue that nudity can be ‘normalised’ given we are living in the 21st century. But can vulgarization be ‘normalised’ in the name of being ‘modern’? that’s where the audience more than the filmmakers needs to take a wise stand.

- by Hetika Kathuria

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