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While I am all for women flaunting their sensuality on-screen and expressing themselves creatively, I draw the line when gullible children try to emulate the same.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut recently slammed a video of a child mouthing a dialogue from Gangubai Kathiawadi. In this movie, the lead actress, Alia Bhatt, portrays the life of Gangubai, who went from being a sex worker to an influential person in Kamathipura, a red-light area.
The child in question was dressed in a white saree and donned a bindi, similar to Alia’s get-up in the movie. This video created waves, for there was no doubt that the child was very talented.
Kangana’s point of contention was that a young person shouldn’t be mouthing obscene dialogues with a beedi in her mouth.
In recent times, there has been an explosion of content and content creators, with some of them as young as five or six years of age. First, it was Tik Tok, now Instagram reels. Each reel is typically a few seconds long and helps the creator showcase their talent through a song, a dance, or enactment of a scene. Sadly, much of it is poorly regulated.
Children aren’t old enough to create accounts, so parents create and upload content on their behalf. Much of it is just a recreation of a popular scene or song from movies that are meant largely for an adult audience. Here is where the problem lies.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a reel of the song ‘Oo Antava’ from the movie Pushpa. The song had set screens ablaze with its sensuous and suggestive dance moves. While I am all for women flaunting their sensuality on-screen and expressing themselves creatively, I draw the line when gullible children try to emulate the same.
Ever since the song was released, there have been hundreds of reels emulating it, by influencers of all ages. One particular reel made me cringe because it featured a little boy and a girl recreating the steps.
Children are naturally curious. They want to imitate their favourite stars and copy their dance moves or croon popular melodies. They have no idea what the suggestive words mean or what the cringe-worthy actions imply. Everyone wants to be the next viral sensation; a situation that has been accentuated due to prolonged online exposure, thanks to the pandemic.
To help create a reel of this kind, the parent would have had to be heavily involved. Everything from lighting and costume and rehearsals would need adult supervision. These videos are shot with pride and uploaded with hashtags and public settings. Parents are supportive of their child’s whims and fancies, but in this process, are they unintentionally sexualizing their children? Are they corrupting their child’s innocence for a moment in the spotlight? Some songs even make adults squeamish and cause us to squirm uncomfortably. Imagine what they would do to the child.
I recollect an episode of Junior Indian Idol where singer Shreya Ghoshal and the music composer duo of Vishal-Shekar were judges. A little girl entered the stage and began singing popular item numbers – the judges were aghast and summoned the mother of the child. The mother protested that even though she wasn’t in favour of these songs, it was a request from the open stage events where her daughter performed regularly.
It broke my heart to see that parents sometimes choose to turn a blind eye. My respect for the judges shot up several notches when they hailed the little girl’s talent but dissuaded her from singing these kinds of songs and chided the mother for such song selection.
In 2019, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry cautioned all TV channels to avoid showing children in an indecent manner, especially in dance shows. But there is still loads of unregulated digital content.
The Internet is a dangerous place, a breeding ground for pedophiles and stalkers. One does not know who views the video or leaves obscene comments. Do we want to expose our children to such filth for two seconds of fame? This will leave indelible imprints on their mental health and affect their development. Not to mention the incessant mocking and trolling.
It also will impact the way children interact with peers. Imagine a child mouthing the same obscene dialogue to their friends or replicating a suggestive move, out of curiosity?
We grew up in different times, where entertainment meant outdoor play and not electronic devices. Movies meant sitting together and viewing with the family. When any age-inappropriate scene popped up, we would be asked to leave the room and come back; this was our parents’ version of child-filters.
Times have changed, and in a single click, a child can access all the content they want. OTT has mushroomed and made a permanent place for itself in our homes. That’s why we as parents have to step up and be more responsible.
Let’s protect our children from predators and preserve their innocence. Want to showcase your child’s talent? Circulate videos on a family group or a private space, not for the whole world to see. Exercise caution and mindfulness, whether it is uploading a video of your child, or maintaining their online account.
Childhood is the best stage of life – a carefree time where one can learn, explore, and discover. Let our children enjoy and learn to appreciate the ‘real’ world and not the ‘reel’ world.
Lalitha is a blogger and a dreamer. Her career is in finance, but writing is her way to unwind! Her little one is the center of her Universe. read more...
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