‘I DON’T AGREE WITH THE TERM ITEM SONG’
Katrina Kaif says if an actor feels that she is being objectified in a dance number, she should never do it
Katrina Kaif has come a long way in the 16 years that she has been a Hindi film actor — from being known mainly for her dancing ability, to her acting talent being proved in films such as New York (2009) and Zero (2018). On how this journey has been so far, Katrina says, “Sometimes I feel it has been long, and sometimes, not long at all. Someone the other day said, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan was six years ago’. To me, it feels like maybe two-and-a-half years old. Time just flies. I am really fortunate. Without getting into too many details, all my experiences have taught me. Some have been good, and some not so good.”
Today, as many female actors such as Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma have turned producers, not many know that Katrina nearly became one over a decade ago. “I spoke about getting into production 8-10 years ago, it just never happened.” Prodded on what held her back, she adds, “Nothing held me back. I got caught up with different aspects in
different areas of my life. I don’t know if it will happen again, but I would like to pursue it, if ever.”
She even has a story planned. “It will definitely be a co-production of some sort. About two strong female characters, in a larger set-up. Size doesn’t matter, the story does. It will be a cinematic experience for the audience. We will see where we go with that,” adds Katrina.
In an age where the conversation has steered towards films being fronted by women, and making workplaces safer for women is a priority, ‘item songs’ are not looked upon kindly. Katrina is one of the best dancers Bollywood has churned out, with songs such as Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan; 2010) and Chikni Chameli (Agneepath; 2012), becoming superhits. But film-maker Karan Johar, in a recent interview, had said, “I have no problem with a girl dancing, that’s not an item number. An item song is when she is objectified and when there are men lusting for her like Chikni Chameli. I don’t think I would ever do that again.”
Ask Katrina for her reaction, and she replies, “I disagree with the word ‘item song’. I can only speak for myself, and cannot comment for others. We can get into a debate for each lyric and exactly what is said! For me, my idols in dancing are [late] Srideviji, Madhuri (DixitNene), Madonna and Beyoncé. If you notice Beyoncé in a concert, and how she presents herself, I don’t think she objectifies women. They are expressing and empowering themselves.”
She goes on to add: “If you feel you are being objectified by your choreographer, then please, by all means, I really hope you never do that. Dance is a wonderful art form. If you are dancing to express yourself, that’s a beautiful thing. It’s not a wrong thing. I feel sometimes when we are trying to make changes, everything starts getting piled up together.”
Nothing held me back [from getting into production]. I got caught up with different aspects in different areas of my life. KATRINA KAIF, ACTOR