One of the readers had commented that item numbers are viewed by some as an example of sexism. I have few things to say if that is the case.

In a number of hindi movies of 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, if a movie has two bahu (daughter-in-law) characters, protagonist bahu always wears faint-coloured sarees, quitely suffers abuse and never challenges doubletalk of the other scheming bahu, comes from a poor or a very benign family….all because she is the “good” bahu. Other bahu (usually the vamp character) wears either western clothes or modern sarees, comes from a rich family, lies frequently etc.

This stereotyping of women, linking dressing sense to behaviour, expectation that a woman is good only when she keeps quite even while suffering physical/mental abuse just for the sake of keeping the family together is, according to me, the real gender bias.

Things haven’t changed much, because our attitude hasn’t changed. Us women are not cows available for slaughter. There is a ongoing TV serial Saubhagyavati Bhava in which the lead female character is brutally tormented by her husband, but never goes to police or even inform her parents about it. She always wears sarees and is very mild-mannered. The character looks more stupid than tolerant.

So am I saying that item numbers display feminism? No. What I think is that they have nothing to do with either feminism or sexism. They are just entertainment. Because you don’t stereotype anyone or expect someone to behave in a certain way based on an item number. What do you think? Which one of these pictures do you have a problem with?