How Liger Song Aafat's Lyrics Casually Mock And Normalise Rape Culture

Liger's Aafat Song Controversy: Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday's Liger will soon be hitting the cinema halls and the fans can't wait for it. As the release date approaches, the movie's songs are being released which are captivating the audience. One such song is Aafat which received flak on social media recently because of its problematic lyrics.

Bollywood has many songs which have problematic lyrics and have received criticism from listeners on their release. From using sexist and misogynistic words to portraying the song in a disturbing way, there have been many things wrong about them that the makers did not think about with seriousness. The sexism and patriarchy in India is often hidden behind the mask of 'jokes' and these unfunny jokes find their way into songs through the mind set of the makers. One such song that disturbed the listeners is Liger's Aafat.

Liger's Aafat Song Controversy: How The Song Normalises Rape

The song begins like a normal sensual song showing great chemistry between the lead actor Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday. Everything is going well until there is a voice in the background of a woman saying, "Bhagwan ke liye mujhe chhor do". Now those who are well acquainted with Bollywood films will remember this dialogue from the yesteryear cinema where the female protagonist would often utter this dialogue when she was being harassed by goons. The dialogue which was used to depict fear in those movies was casually used in a mocking way.

This did not go well with the internet and users started pointing out how unnecessary and disturbing it sounded. People criticised the actors and the makers who did not think or protest against this part of the song which can be really traumatic for those who have actually have experienced sexual harassment and rape. Using it thoughtlessly for commercial purpose just shows that Bollywood still has a long way to go when it comes to respecting women, understanding important social issues and differentiating crime from pleasure.

The point here is that the song would have done well without that dialogue as well. The beat was catchy, the chemistry between the actors was good and the location was also fine. So why did the makers feel like adding that little 'touch' to it would somehow amplify the effect of the song in a positive way?

Both Ananya Panday and Vijay Deverakonda are youth stars and whatever they do influences the young minds greatly. Whether it was Deverakonda's Arjun Reddy or Panday in Student Of The Year, youngsters take inspiration from their style, looks, behaviour and mannerism. Hence, it becomes important for these stars to be careful of what they portray through songs and movies as the youth will be following their footsteps. When their idols will not understand the seriousness of such words and the issue of rape culture, how will they understand the same thing.

There have been many such problematic Bollywood songs like Tauba, Ek Chumma and Patli Kamariya that were disturbing enough as they promoted objectification of women, eve teasing and forcing women. What makes it worst is that these songs became immensely popular among the youth and they were seen making videos with these songs. Hence, viewers' concerns regarding Aafat are totally valid which means that Bollywood needs thorough introspection and careful observation of what they portray and convey through their content.

Suggested Readings: Dear Vijay Deverakonda, Women Are Neither Drama Queens Nor Home Wreckers