WTF happened to Bollywood's language?

Actor Emraan Hashmi has confessed that the excessive use of cuss words in Jannat-2 cost the film a business of Rs10 crore. No, not because it was certified ‘A’ but because “teenagers felt embarrassed to see it along with the elders”! Not only that, he even admitted that in future he will think twice before doing a film that has unwarranted abusive language. This coming from the hero of the hit film is a huge revelation and begs the question: how much is too much?

According to pyschcologist Seema Hingorani, there is an alarming trend of using bad words among kids, the youth and even married couples. “Kids feel it’s cool to swear at others. I have so many parents coming to me to help their children get rid of the habit. Films and actors are the role models, influencing them in a huge way and this is having a negative impact on the society,” says Hingorani. She cites an example of a teenager who wanted to watch Delhi Belly “only to learn the cuss words and use it on his friends”.

However, Abhinay Deo, who directed Delhi Belly, the film that broke the barriers when it came to freely using the ‘F’ word argues that cinema mirrors society. “If you go to any college canteen and listen to the youth lingo, it will put even Delhi Belly to shame. We have been shying away from some of the realities for so long that when a film like this comes, it becomes shocking,” explains Deo. He reckons that the item songs or the implied bad language shown in ‘U’ films is crassier than what was shown in Delhi Belly.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whose Gangs of Wasseypur is set to release this month reveals that his film has a liberal dose of cuss words typically used by North Indians. “My film is set in Dhanbad, it’s about illiterate gangsters and gaali galauch is part of their natural lingo. We need to get over our moralities and leave the audience to decide for themselves,” he quips. He, however, admits that the option of using bad words is completely upto the filmmaker. He gives the example of Paan Singh Tomar, which is set in Chambal and is known for its abusive language. “But director Tigmanshu Dhulia refrained from incorporating it in the film. Had I been in his place I would have definitely used it,” he swears!