“Sarke Chunar”, the Hindi song from the Kannada film “KD The Devil” that has led to a massive row for its sexually explicit lyrics, is not the first song from Hindi cinema to attract criticism. Here is a list of 10 songs that led to debate and, in some cases, a ban for their controversial and double entendre lines.
Also read: ‘Thank you for the backlash’: Nora Fatehi breaks silence on ‘vulgar’ song
“Tateeree”: This song by rapper Badshah, which released earlier this month, was taken down following backlash over its lyrics that many felt was objectifying women. The singer shared an apology, saying he had no intention to hurt sentiments.
“Fevicol Se”: This 2012 song, an item number performed by Kareena Kapoor Khan, in “Dabangg 2”, is still quoted for the way it objectifies women. The lines “Main to tanduri murgi hoon yaar. Gatakle alcohol se” raised the hackles of many critics, who considered it cheap and not up to the standard of Hindi song writing. It is composed and written by Sajid-Wajid and sung by Mamta Sharma.
“Munni Badnaam Hui”: This item number from “Dabangg” in 2010, featuring Malaika Arora, was a massive hit but landed in trouble for its lyrics. There was also a trademark infringement issue after using the name of the pain-relieving balm, Zandu Balm, in its lyrics. Sung by Mamta Sharma and Aishwarya, the song has lyrics by Lalit Pandit who also composed the music for it.
“Sheila Ki Jawani”: This song in 2010 from Farah Khan’s flop “Tees Maar Khan” was a major hit and featured Katrina Kaif as Sheila. The song is known for its suggestive lyrics and dance movies and comes from a period in Hindi cinema when item songs were an important part of a movie. It is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and the music is by Vishal Shekhar. The lyrics are by Vishal Dadlani.
“Chikni Chameli”: In 2011, Katrina Kaif grooved to this item number from “Agneepath”. It became an instant hit but its lyrics were criticised for objectifying women. Years later, singer Shreya Ghoshal, who crooned the number, said she finds it strange to see young children dance to the number. She said she has become more careful in what she sings now. The song has lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and is composed by Ajay-Atul.
“Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai”: This song from 1993’s “Khalnayak” made headlines for it double meaning dialogues and became a major controversy at the time of its release. Madhuri Dixit danced to the number while Ila Arun and Alka Yagnik sang it. Composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, it has lyrics by Anand Bakshi.
The film, incidently also has a connection with “Sarke Chunar”. Actor Nora Fatehi said she accepted the song as she was led to believe that it was a remake of “Nayak nahi khalnayak hoon main” from the Subhash Ghai film. Both “Sarke Chunar” and “Nayak nahi…” feature Sanjay Dutt.
“Sexy Sexy Mujhe Log Bole”: This song from 1994’s film “Khuddar”, which featured Karisma Kapoor and Govinda, was considered too vulgar for Indian audiences back then, which led to protests. Subsequently, the word “sexy” was changed to “baby”.
Sung by Alisha Chinai and Anu Malik, the song is composed by Malik and has lyrics by Indeevar. The original verson still survives on internet.
“Sarkai Lo Khatiya”: This song comes from another Govinda hit “Raja Babu” in 1994. Featuring Karisma Kapoor and Govinda, this song was labelled vulgar for its suggestive lyrics and banned by All India Radio due to its provocative nature. Composed by Anand Milind, it is sung by Poornima and Kumar Sanu with lyrics by Sameer. Despite the controversy, it was a major hit for many years.
“Khada Hai”: This sexually suggestive song is from 1994 movie “Andaz”, which was directed by David Dhawan and produced by Pehlaj Nihlani. The song is sung by Sadhana Sargam and Vinod Rathod and features Juhi Chawla and Anil Kapoor. Reports at the time said that Juhi Chawla was upset and uncomfortable during the filming of the song for its double meaning lyrics and cheap choreography.
“Bhaag Bhaag DK Bose”: This song from “Delhi Belly” in 2011 landed in controversy for the sneaky way it features a Hindi expletive. Despite the controversy, it became a hit. The movie, produced by Aamir Khan and featuring his nephew Imran Khan in the lead role. The song is composed and sung by Ram Sampat with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.
