Renowned playback singer Shreya Ghoshal has opened up about her discomfort with some of the raunchier songs she has sung in her career, particularly the hit track “Chikni Chameli” from the 2012 film Agneepath, featuring Katrina Kaif. In a recent interview, she expressed her embarrassment about young children singing and dancing to such songs without understanding their meaning.
Shreya acknowledged that she has a few songs in her discography that could be considered “borderline raunchy” and emphasized the thin line between being sexy and being objectified. “There is a very fine line between being sexual and sexy or being out there just making yourself objectified,” she said. Her concerns have grown over time as she has seen young girls performing these songs without comprehending the lyrics.
“They don’t know what it means, it’s a fun song and they are dancing to it,” she explained. “They come and say, ‘I love your music, can I sing this in front of you?’ And then, I feel very embarrassed. A little girl who is hardly 5-6 years old, she is singing this, and it doesn’t suit or sound good. I don’t want that, so I have been conscious about that.”
The singer also highlighted the importance of more thoughtful songwriting, particularly in an industry where most lyrics are written by men. While she acknowledged that women have the right to feel sexy and express themselves, she argued that the presentation of such themes should be more graceful. “It isn’t wrong to happily talk about how sexy I am. But don’t write it in such a way. Maybe, if a woman was writing it, she would have written it in a gracious manner. It’s just a matter of perspective,” she remarked.
Shreya further emphasized the responsibility of films and music in shaping cultural narratives. “Films and music have a very huge impact on people, it’s a big part of our lives. Any big blockbuster film or song becomes a part of history, and I don’t want to become a part of that kind of history,” she asserted.
Her statements have reignited the debate on the role of item songs in Bollywood and their impact on audiences, especially young listeners. With a successful career spanning over two decades, Shreya Ghoshal’s concerns highlight the evolving discourse on gender sensitivity and responsible storytelling in Indian cinema.
