I am analyzing the most viewed Bollywood music videos on YouTube using the Sex Role Perspective. While analyzing with the Sex Role Perspective, I will utilize the items for evaluating masculinity and femininity as presented by Hyde (1995, p. 134), and these specific items will be italicized. In this post, I will be discussing the lyrical music video for “Dilbar” from the Bollywood movie Satyameva Jayate. 

Link to video: DILBAR Lyrical | Satyameva Jayate |John Abraham, Nora Fatehi,Tanishk B, Neha Kakkar,Dhvani, Ikka

 

Evaluating Masculinity

  • Reinforcing stereotypes
    • Clips of men fighting each other and showing physical aggression are shown several times in the music video. This presents stereotypically masculine traits like aggression, assertiveness, and the willingness to take risks.
    • Men are shown blowing fire into the air, which again reinforces a stereotypically masculine willingness to take risks.
    • One male character is shown wearing an all black outfit and displaying an expression of grave seriousness on his face. The clothing choices and expression, along with his general mannerisms, reinforce the masculine stereotypical traits of dominance, aggression, and a strong personality.
  • Resisting stereotypes
    • Not only the women but also many of the men in this music video show a lot of skin with revealing outfits on; these somewhat equal modesty guidelines are not always commonly seen.

 

Evaluating Femininity

  • Reinforcing stereotypes
    • The women tend to touch their faces and touch objects in a gentle, tender, and very stereotypically feminine way.
    • While the men in the music video are rarely seen smiling, the women are almost constantly smiling, which reinforces feminine traits like warmth and cheerfulness.
    • The dance moves of the women and the revealing saris they are wearing, in combination with the camera angles, present the women in a stereotypically objectifying way during the majority of the music video.
  • Resisting stereotypes
    • Although there are some instances where the women look away from the camera passively in a way that represents licensed withdrawal, there are several moments where women look directly at the camera while dancing in a way that appears to portray assertiveness and forcefulness, which are stereotypically masculine traits.

Shared by: Seela Raj
Image Credit: https://images.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2018/07/04/Pictures/satyamev-fatehi-jayate-song-still-from-dilbar_0f95eae8-7f5a-11e8-8bd0-affd130bd192.JPG