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 music video for “Mere Rashke Qamar” by Junaid Asghar.

Link to video: Mere Rashke Qamar Tu Ne Pehli Nazar – By Junaid Asghar

Evaluating Masculinity

  • Reinforcing stereotypes
    • The main male character is shown wearing a suit and tie, working hard in a nice big city corporate office. This portrayal reinforces stereotypically masculine traits of being ambitious, independent, and self-sufficient. 
    • The male character is shown taking pictures of the main female character across the street from his office window while she is not looking and later looking at them. In a way, this gives him power over her and objectifies her, which presents him as more dominant, forceful, and stereotypically masculine in general.
  • Resisting stereotypes
    • Overall, the male character is soft-spoken and somewhat shy in his relationship with the female character, both stereotypically feminine traits. Although the male character is very obviously interested in her, the relationship does not move forward until the female character takes notice and decides to pursue it. 
    • The song lyrics which a male singer sings during this music video are quite tender and affectionate, with lines like “lightning struck me and destroyed me, you ignited such a fire…” 

Evaluating Femininity

  • Reinforcing stereotypes
    • While the main male character works in a serious corporate office environment, the main female character works in a seamstress store across the street, portraying her as less of an ambitious professional. The female character is represented as stereotypically feminine in this way.
    • In general, the female character wears clothing and is shown in environments that are very colorful, a stark contrast to the blacks and grays which the male character is largely associated with. With this color scheme, the female character is presented as more warm, cheerful, and even childlike, with bright colors surrounding her.
    • When the male character shows the female character that he has been taking pictures of her across the street through his office window, she giggles and smiles. This presents her as stereotypically yielding, as she is not at all offended by or questioning of this situation. 
    • In the song lyrics, the male singer says, “she was shy of answering my questions,” explicitly describing his female lover with the stereotypically feminine trait of being shy. 
    • When with the male character, the female character offers him chocolate and touches the chocolate onto his nose in a gentle and affectionate way.
  • Resisting stereotypes
    • When the male character waves to her through his office window, the female character waves back but then shows a look of annoyance or disgust. This portrays her to have a strong personality, a stereotypically masculine trait.
    • The female character appears to work hard at her job in a seamstress store and appears to have somewhat of a leadership role in this store, as she is shown writing and walking around, not sewing clothes. This presents her as being ambitious, self-sufficient, and having a leadership ability.
    • In regard to her relationship with the male character, the female character is somewhat dominant and independent, both stereotypically masculine traits. This is so because this relationship does not progress until the female character notices and decides to act on the male character’s very obvious interest in her, which had been going on for a while.

Shared by: Seela Raj
Image Credit: https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jn0FDUC02Cg/WqEJQ6OVucI/AAAAAAAAAw0/AhaVFDZNZnEJQ6Lh7EtexhEMrtjXSSc1wCLcBGAs/s1600/MereRashkeQamar.jpg