- When Agents of Ishq asked me to contribute to their Sexy Saturday Song project I was all “Oh Please! Mother, May I Please?” But then I sat around and let this list stew and stew and stew. Which is so many types of fail, especially for someone from a generation that once compiled a mix tape every month. That was a big and involved process. You took in suggestions, argued with your sister about the final list, decided which choices were just impossible, and which remained evergreen because of ‘availability’. Kind of like our choices for (and please pardon the flashback-to-the-90s talk) boyfriends. We were in a small town, had us se bhi kam social mobility, the slimmest of pickings, someone’s brother, another’s cousin – you catch my drift… and just like it happened with our quests for love our day ended with a resigned “Bhayya Ye Gaane Record Hojaayenge?”And of course through all that time we dreamt of a day when there would be choices, lots of choices, so many choices. United Colors of Benetton ka catalogue. We dreamt ki khoob khoob sex karenge but people we chose and not someone on a as-is-where-is-basis. Oh the longing for plenty! You know, something along the lines of, Kis Kisko Pyar Karun?
- And now I have taken you down memory lane to our sepia saiyyan days. Then shuru karte hain with when we were good girls but waiting, waiting to go on a long drive, we will buy roasted peanuts and Coke, sigh. Park the car. Woh dheko Murree ki lights. Whilst a car in Murree may be parked going Woh dheko Islamabad ki lights. And we all waited politely, respectably for the gentleman to cue us in. For you see before we were introduced to the world of Two Minute Maggi Noodles there was the two minutes sharam haya interval, waiting waiting for the guy to ‘break your defences’ down. At one point I watched all the filmy songs from the ‘80s and some of the ‘90s and realized that the moment the heroine gave in to the guy was 2 minutes into the song. Two minutes ain’t bad whilst you are listening to my favourite song to be wooed to.Dilbar Mere Kab Tak Mujhe from Satte Pe Satta.
- And then, to a day when we finally woke up to take matters in our own hands. Intizar ki ghadiyan khatam mitron. The sexual revolution took time coming but when it came…waves breaking on the ocean bed. When I grow up I want to be Bipasha Basu from this song, what a body of work and workout. Yes, like in Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai from Jism.
- But this zaalim samaj! I have yet to find a link that doesn’t have an ad for Date2Rishta.com. (Seriously how awful is it that my booty call anthem now needs mulayam garam samjhote ki rishte ki chador of phir baat paaki samjhen?) So I am now also thinking of this other song from Jism: Chalo Tumko Lekar Chale.
- And here is another top-level sexy number. Tumne Mujhe Dekha Hokar Meherban from Teesri Manzil. That the character Rocky (Shammi Kapoor) could sing something so, so sexy for Yaum-e-Azaadi… where Yaum is Day and azaadi is Independence, hence Independence Day, is so, so remarkable. And that one could say Yaum-e-Azaadi Mubarak in the 1960s and no one said, “hain? ye yaum and azaadi kya kaha? Is it Persian? Iski Hindi Google karo.” well that is just the icing on the cake. All this sex aur sanskar ki kashmakash today, but see, this is how our grandparents celebrated being independent citizens, what dulcet tones, makhan hai makhan. Azaad desh mai azaad sex – sometimes it is nice to remember kuch puraane sanskar. Also Teesri Manzil is THE movie for eyebrow love. Helen. Asha. And Shammi ki aankho hi aankho mai ishaarey
- PS. I almost forgot to add this Yeh Dil Deewana from Pardes. Kitna armaan tha ki hum bhi pyaar karenge, one night stands and then after the inevitable breakup zoom away in a sexy si gaadi pe. No sad si Jiye Tou Jiye Kaise type Saajan soundtrack for us ji, ruing about last night. Ye hai ji our definition of Breakup Sex.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLAZReIUR9w
Tune in to the playlist of all of Aneela’s Sexy Saturday Songs here
Aneela Z Babar divides her time working on gender, religion, and popular culture. She is part of the Haseena Item Bum Elite Squad – a housewife by day fighting for justice and love at night.