📌 Key Points
- Tollywood songs plunge into vulgarity: ‘KD,’ ‘Guntur Kaaram’ shockers.
- No more family songs? Double meanings, skin show cross all limits.
- Censor Board silent? Explicit visuals, lyrics get green light freely.
- Box office greed sacrifices art: ‘Adult content’ now deemed mandatory.
Tollywood’s vibrant item songs, a traditional staple of Telugu cinema, are sparking a heated debate. Are these high-energy numbers, once celebrated for their glamour, now pushing boundaries into vulgarity? With increasing complaints about explicit visuals and double-meaning lyrics making them unsuitable for family viewing, critics and netizens alike are questioning if Tollywood has lost its way.
Film Songs: From Melody to Mayhem
The current state of film songs has become deplorable. In the guise of item songs, they are increasingly filled with vulgar words and double-meaning dialogues, making them unsuitable for family viewing. Critics across the board are vocal about item songs crossing limits, with netizens expressing particular anger over the ‘KD’ movie song’s terrible visuals. Even Sukumar’s signature item songs face criticism for containing double-meaning dialogues, and the use of vulgar dialogue in ‘Guntur Kaaram‘ is seen by many as a clear testament to Tollywood’s degeneration.
Once upon a time, a film song was a blend of lyrics and music, but now the situation has drastically changed. Filmmakers’ approach has devolved to a point where ‘adult content’ is deemed essential for box office collections. Without the basic awareness that children and families will watch, songs are being filled with blatant vulgarities and double-meaning dialogues, while the skin show, in particular, is crossing all limits. This pervasive trend is evident across various films.
The recent item song from Kannada star Dhruva Sarja’s film ‘KD – The Devil,’ for instance, is currently creating a storm online due to its extremely objectionable lyrics and visuals. Shot as if an item song is solely about exposure, reminiscent of Western adult films, its sole objective appears to be attracting mass audiences to theaters, completely abandoning cinematic values. Even films featuring star heroes are following suit, raising concerns about whether songs are no longer suitable for family viewing. Sukumar’s signature item songs are known for being bold; however, critics observing ‘Oo Antava’ from ‘Pushpa’ argue that while there’s nothing wrong with utilizing Samantha’s glamour, certain words scattered in the lyrics are uncomfortable for family listening. Similarly, ‘Jamal Kudu’ from ‘Animal,’ despite being a major musical hit, became a prime example of adult content due to its depiction in the film, along with the bloodshed and violence in Bobby Deol’s entry scene. The creation of a song in ‘Guntur Kaaram,’ starring a star hero like Mahesh Babu, using a vulgar social media dialogue like ‘Kurchi Madathapetti’ as its main hook line, clearly demonstrates the extent to which Tollywood has fallen. Moreover, in ‘Liger,’ which featured the combination of Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday, comments emerged that the heroine’s dressing and movements in the ‘Akdi Pakdi’ song were even more vulgar than the lyrics. While it’s common for Puri Jagannadh’s films to feature double meanings, it’s regrettable that outright vulgarity has now become a trademark. Countless such instances exist, painting a grim picture of degenerating cinematic values for the sake of collections.
Censor Board: Who’s Guarding Our Screens?
Children nowadays are easily picking up these songs, and even without understanding the meaning, when they sing these ‘vulgar’ words, parents find themselves in an embarrassing situation. This widespread trend sends a wrong signal to the industry: ‘A film will only succeed if it has adult content.’ Consequently, including a ‘hot item song’ in every film has become mandatory. This raises the suspicion whether filmmakers are resorting to such shortcuts due to a lack of confidence in their core content.
A critical question arises: Is the Censor Board asleep? Even when lyrics contain blatant vulgarities and visuals are overtly obscene, how is the Censor Board granting permission? This desperation of filmmakers to elicit whistles in theaters will undoubtedly lead to cinema being branded as merely ‘vulgarity’ in the future. If limits are not observed in songs, at least keeping children in mind, the respect for the film industry is certain to be lost. The songs being released under the guise of item songs are severely disappointing audiences, and there is an urgent need to consider the profound impact such content will have on future generations.
Looking Ahead
Tollywood’s integrity hangs precariously. The Censor Board and filmmakers must urgently introspect; this relentless chase for cheap whistles risks branding our cinema as mere vulgarity. If we fail to draw the line, prioritizing respect for our children, the industry’s legacy will be irrevocably lost to a future that demands better.
