There was a time when artists made waves in entertainment; they felt as though they were just telling stories and pushing creative boundaries with their work. Nowadays, it often feels… engineered.
The outrage surrounding Nora Fatehi’s Sarke Chunar is not isolated from other high-profile instances of backlash (like Badshah), which forces us to confront the uncomfortable reality that art can be made vulgar in order to remain relevant.
The song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke, featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt from KD: The Devil, quickly became popular because of how it was able to cause a rise in controversy instead of bringing glory to the artists involved.
The Nora Fatehi controversy: What happened?
• The lyrics and choreography were viewed as sexually suggestive and have been called “obscene” and “derogatory.”
• Even beyond social media, formal complaints were filed, leading the National Human Rights Commission to intervene by ruling that this type of content was a potential threat to younger audiences.
• A number of State Women’s Commissions expressed concern over how women were depicted in the song, stating that it tarnishes societal perceptions of a woman’s worth.
• The situation escalated to a point where the government demanded that the Central Board of Film Certification take severe action, leading to an official ban.
Responses from within the industry also verify that sentiment. Singer Armaan Malik described it as “sad,” while some others even accused the production company behind it of trying to be controversial so they could generate buzz for themselves.
The most telling sign of how badly this song has gone off track is that the writer of that song has distanced himself from it completely.
When creators start doing this, there is clearly something wrong with whatever they are doing.
But is this really new?
The defenders of the song have already said that they have seen these types of things in movies before. From “Choli Ke Peeche” to a million other item songs, Bollywood has always known how to be sensual.
But here is the difference: when earlier songs provoked you, there was usually an element of skill, context, or artistry to it, whereas now a lot of these types of songs seem to be created just to shock you.
The issue is not so much about sensuality versus morality as it is about intent versus laziness.
The real issue: Art or algorithm?
Let’s be honest- the industry doesn’t just create for audiences anymore, but is also creating for algorithms, as they seek to get attention in the first five seconds of viewership through trendy reels. Often, the idea is to create outrage, and thus generate engagement.
That type of climate starts to make vulgarity a tool instead of an artistic decision, where outrage is simply a form of marketing.
A clear example of the pattern of ‘going viral’, creating controversy, and getting banned due to the song’s popularity is the Sarke Chunar incident.
The slippery slope of “doing anything for attention”
This is where it gets interesting. As soon as shock value becomes the easiest way to become visible, content creators stop asking: “Is this meaningful?” & instead ask “Will this be trendy?” That’s a very dangerous shift.
Why? Because:
* It normalises the use of people as objects for entertainment purposes
* It increases the amount of xplicitness to the audience and desensitises them to explicit content
* Most importantly, it undermines true artistry
The AICWA also recognised this trend in their critique, stating that this type of material is creating buzz intentionally.
That is not evolution in art – it is gaming art.
Is art being taken for granted?
Yes, but not in the way you would think. Art is very much alive, but it is being outsourced to cheap and easy-to-obtain means. The industry has incredible creativity, depth, and storytelling capabilities, and oftentimes, it is the good creators who have decided to take an easier, louder, and flashier route to attempt to capture attention.
The bigger question
The Nora Fatehi controversy is not simply one “bold” song; it goes much deeper than that. The industry has reached its “crossroads.” Will they create work that lasts? Or will they create work that “goes viral”? These two approaches are not always interchangeable. It seems that the gap between creating art versus just trying to attract attention is getting blurrier every day.
