Apart from their love ballads and soft numbers, music composer duo Sachin-Jigar has earned love and appreciation for composing a plethora of dance numbers. Tracks such as Kamariya, Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe, Nadiyon Paar, Thumkeshwari, Taras, and the recently released Aaj Ki Raat have become raging chartbusters. They deserve credit for setting a precedent at a time when Bollywood’s item numbers have often faced backlash for objectifying women.
Stree 2’s Aaj Ki Raat might feature Tamannaah Bhatia in her sultry glory, embracing her beauty and sensuality, but it never presents her as an object of voyeuristic male gaze. For Sachin-Jigar, vulgarity is never a trope, even while putting together a dance number. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Jigar says, “In Aaj Ki Raat, Amitabh (Bhattacharya; lyricist) bhai has written, ‘Mere mehboob samajhiye zara, mauqe ki nazaakat, ke khareedi nahin jaa sakti, haseenon ki ijaazat.’ He comes up with these lines, making the song much more about the women."
For him, penning ‘vulgar lyrics to dance to’ is a strict no-no. “Taras, on the other hand, is a sad song. There’s a line in it that goes, ‘Tujhko jahaan pe apna dil ye diya tha maine, dil todne us jagah par hi bulaya mujhko, taras nahi aaya tujhko.’ There was a time when we had celebrated even that (vulgarity). But times have changed. We still need celebration, dancing beats, and item songs, but we want to do it in a way where dignity and respect are maintained," he explains.
According to Sachin, it’s imperative to understand that ‘being a woman isn’t easy,’ and he attributes this to being surrounded by women, which has helped him look at film music through a feminist lens. “I’m a father of a lovely daughter. I’ve always had more women in my house than men. Jigar has two younger sisters. We are who we are because of their sacrifices. A lot goes into the transition of a girl into a woman. We’ve seen it first-hand. I’ve gone out to pick up essentials for them at night," he shares.
The Baaki Sab Theek and Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui singer adds, “The least we can do as men is to be graceful towards them and their beauty. Why shouldn’t we say it out loud that somebody is beautiful? Why not celebrate it? The idea is to find the boundary and adhere to it. We should know what’s graceful. And Amitabh bhai is too graceful a person."
Talking about how accountability is key for Sachin and his frequent collaborators, he states, “I remember my mom calling him and telling him, ‘Be it Aaj Ki Raat or Aayi Nai, it’s tickling one naughty nerve but never crossing the line.’ Stree 2 has made more than Rs 500 crores, and it shows that it has impacted so many young minds. For that, it’s important for us to be responsible. Dinoo (Dinesh Vijan; producer) sir, Jigar, Amitabh bhai, and I aren’t going to put out music just because it’s saleable. We always ensure that there’s enough grace in it."
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