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It's the age of hit 'dirty' songs
First, there were suggestive lyrics, specimens of which include, mostly in the 90s, songs such as Sarkai Lo Khatiya, Choli ke Peechhe and Chad Gaya Upar Re.
Today, to cater to the new-age listeners, song-writers are using more direct content, even if it's downright dirty, in their lyrics. Words such as bitch, saala, whore and nangi are liberally thrown in. There's another trend catching on, that of making use of old dirty jokes, such as in Bhaag D K Bose from Delhi Belly.
As the number becomes a cool chartbuster, perhaps defining the current era of film music, here's looking at recent lyrics which flip-flopped from being amusing to lewd and vulgar.
Bhaag D K Bose, Delhi Belly
The promo is shot edgily in a dilapidated warehouse setting, weaving a rockstar-like aura around the characters. But all of this is upstaged by the lyrics.
D K Bose, if you say continuously, without stopping, it will turn into an expletive, we were told in our school days.
Lyricist Amitabh Bhattarcharya works this phrase and achieves instant success; maybe it was something waiting to be discovered. The grunge style suits the tenor of the lyrics rather well.
Mutton, Luv Ka The End
There's no problem in men in drag. There are some fine actors who've dressed up as one and were hilarious. The problem is when a beefed-up boy fetches up to glorify his body as 'taaza mutton'.
Ostensibly targeted at the youth, the Mutton song (with such lines as Chaalees ki chhaati chikni hai) as it is known opened to lukewarm response. Can't get cheesier than this, for sure.
Title track, Dum Maaro Dum
The new-age Dum Maaro Dum, picturised on Deepika Padukone, may have failed to recreate the same magic that the original with Zeenat Aman did but it had its share of controversies.
First, Deepika's look was speculated upon and then the lyrics, which includes such provocative lines as, 'Oonche se ooncha banda potty pe baithe nanga.' It's strange the Censors did not smell a rat here.
Karma is a Bitch, Shor in the City
One of the characters in this critically-acclaimed film is obsessed with karma. First, he reads the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and then, there's the number, Karma is a Bitch, which underscores his state of mind.
His and other characters, too, for it's their karma (deed) that will guide them to a justified future. The word 'bitch' is slipped in seamlessly but throughout the stress is on the term, 'karma'.
Tu Gandi Achchi Lagti Hai, LSD
The song became as controversial as this small-budget film pitched as 'voyeur's delight'. Dibakar Banerjee's Love Sex Aur Dhokha ran into trouble with the Censors over Tu Nangi Achchi Lagti Hai.
After much ado, the Censors prompted Dibakar to change the word 'nangi' which eventually became 'gandi', losing most of its boldness and as Dibakar moaned, "its context."
Emosanal Attyachaar, Dev.D
Another trend-setter from Amitabh Bhattacharya's pen, Emosanal Attyachaar became the cry of the youth, heralding certainly a new trend in film soundtrack. As much as the audience loved its peppy beat, Dev.D shocked them, too, with lyrics like, 'Bol why did you ditch me whore.'
This is, as they say, just the trailer; the film as a whole has far more provocative content, strictly by Bollywood standard, that is.
Pappu Can't Dance Saala, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
The hip-shaking number from Imran Khan's debut instantly became a rage. Compared to others in our list, Pappu isn't vulgar.
Yet, no song in recent history has done more to the popularity and promotion of the word 'saala' than this one.