Women are fading out from Bollywood music | Hindustan Times
Women are fading out from Bollywood musicAn analysis of over 24,000 songs
By Gurman Bhatia
March 17, 2018
Though many activities in Indian public life have been dominated by men, there is one where women have led the way – playback singing in Bollywood music. Yet in recent years, even that has changed: the melodious voices you hear in the top movies have become increasingly male.
Consider songs that were sung by only women in 2017.
"Sunn Bhavara"
Bairaagi (Female Version)
Barfani (Female)
Be Still My Heart
Bloody Hell
Chori Chori Dekho Aise Dekha Na Karo
Commando (English Version)
Commando (Title Track)
Daata Tu
Dil Diyan Gallan (Unplugged)
Dil Hua Besharam
Din Shagna Da
Ek Dooni Do Do Dooni Char
Ek Jindari
Ghungta
Gudgudi
Gulbadan
Hawa Hawai 2.0
Holi Khelein
Ishq De Fanniyar (Female)
Ishquiya
Jee Ve Sohaneya
Jigi Jigi
Jogi (Aakanksha Sharma Version)
Kanha
Khol De Baahein
Laila Main Laila
Le Li Jaan
Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin
Main Hoon Saath Tere (Shivangi Bhayana Version)
Main Kaun Hoon
Manva Likes To Fly
Meet (Female)
Mere Miyan Gaye England
Mere Rashke Qamar (Version 2)
Meri Pyaari Ammi
Nachdi Phira
Nazm Nazm (Female Version)
O Re Manwa
Oye Firangi
Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahungi
Pinjra Tod Ke
Prem Mein Tohre
Prem Mein Tohre (Reprise)
Pyar Ho (Redux)
Rafu
Rozana
Sajna Sohne Jiha
Sapne Re
Shimmy Shake
Soja Zara
Stay a Little Longer
Tera Noor
Tu Banja Gali Benaras Ki (Asees Kaur Version)
Yeh Ishq Hai (Female Version)
Zinda
Now look at the ones that were sung by only men. It’s more than twice as many.
"Enna Sona"
Aazaadiyan
Alvida Alvida To Nahin
Angry Mix
Baaki Rab Pe Chhod De
Baarish (Atif Aslam Version)
Ban Ja Rani
Bandook Meri Laila
Baras Ja
Barfani (Male)
Bura Na Mano Bholi Hai
Chal Tu Apna Kaam Kar
Chal Tu Apna Kaam Kar (Version 2)
Chulbuli
Darasal (Music By: JAM8)
Daru Vich Pyaar
Dhingana
Dil Diyan Gallan
Dil Kya Kare Jab Kisi Se Kisi Ko Pyar Ho Jaye
Dum Dum
Dum Dum (Punjabi)
Dum Dum (Reprise)
Fakiri
Farrata
Feel The Rhythm
Galti Se Mistake
Ganpati Aarti
Ghammar Ghammar
Gussa
Haareya
Hawayein
Hawayein (Film Version)
Hind Mere Jind
Holi Ki Pichkari
Hoor
Hum Nahi Sudhrenge
I'll Miss You
Ik Vaari Aa
Ik Vaari Aa (Jubin Version)
Ishq De Fanniyar (Male)
Jaane De
Jay Jaykara
Jhumritalaiyya
Jogi (Shafqat Amanat Ali Version)
Jolly Good Fellow
Josh Mein
Julia
Jung Hai Humri Aatankwad Se
Kaabil Hoon (Sad Version)
Kaavaan Kaavaan
Khali Khali
Kuch Din
Kuch Nahi
Kuch Nahi (Encore)
Kuch Nahi (Reprise)
Laddoo
Lambiyaan Si Judaiyaan (Music By: JAM8)
Main Agar
Main Agar (Film Version)
Main Hoon
Main Hoon Saath Tere
Manzoor Hai
Meet
Mera Intkam Dekhegi
Mera Intkam Dekhegi (Anand Raj Anand Version)
Mere Rashke Qamar
Mere Rashke Qamar (Remix)
Mon Amour
Murshida
Musafir
Naach Meri Jaan
Nazm Nazm
Nazm Nazm (Male Version)
Noor E Khuda
O Re Rangreza
Oh Ho Ho Ho
Pal Bhar (Chaahunga Reprise)
Panchi Ud Gaya
Parinda
Parinda (Search)
Phir Wahi
Phurrr (Film Versiom)
Postman
Rabba Meray Haal Da Mehram Tu
Radio
Radio (Film Version)
Raina
Rangdaari
Roke Na Ruke Naina
Saanson Ke
Sachin Sachin
Sadda Move
Safar
Sahiba (Male Unplugged)
Sahiba Russ Gayiya
Sam Dham
Sarkar Trance
Seedha Saadha
Seedha Saadha (Reprise Version)
Sexy Baliye
Shakti
Shivam
Simran
Suit Suit
Suno Ganpati Bappa Morya
Swag
Swag Rebirth
Teen Kabootar
Tere Dil Mein
Tere Dil Mein (Club Mix)
Thamba
Thank U For That
The Poster Boys Anthem
Tinka Tinka Dil Mera
Tinka Tinka Dil Mera (Film Version)
Toilet Ka Jugaad
Tu Banja Gali Benaras Ki
Tu Banja Gali Benaras Ki (Shafqat Version)
Tu Chale Toh
Tu Hi Hai
Tu Jit Jawna
Tu Mera Bhai Nahi Hai
Tujhe Paa Ke
Yeh Ishq Hai
Zinda Hai
Bollywood music albums didn't always look like this. We analysed more than 24,000 Bollywood songs from the 50 highest-grossing movies of every year since 1950 and discovered that the share of songs being sung by women is constantly declining.
Take, for example, the solo, that most versatile of Bollywood’s musical forms. The solo can be used to introspect, as in Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli, sung by Manna Dey, or to seduce, as in Don’s classic Yeh Mera Dil sung by Asha Bhosle.
While it continues to be a part of Bollywood films, today, one in every four solos is sung by women. Contrast that with the 50s and 60s, where they sang three in every four.
Fewer women are singing Bollywood solos
Percentage of solos sung by gender for the top 50 Bollywood grossers (1950-2017)
MenWomen1950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010
Source: Hindi Geetmala, Wikipedia, HT Analysis
From the 1950s to the 1970s, when Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle dominated all of Bollywood music, very few competitors existed. In the earlier years, Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum had their share of solos, but they never managed to overpower the Mangeshkar sisters. The male voices were Mohammad Rafi’s in the 1950s and 1960s, and Kishore Kumar’s in the 1970s and 1980s. Other male singers did not sing nearly as much.
In 1958, for example, Asha Bhosle sang 45% of all songs in releases that year. That means she sang almost every other major song that released that year.
Today, even the top ranking Arijit Singh sings about 10% of all songs. With more singers in the fray, very few singers dominate the market like those in the past.
More players, more competition
Percentage of songs singers sang in the top 50 Bollywood grossers (1950-2017)
Each block represents a singer who sang more than 20 songs in that decade.
1950s
0%10%20%30%40%Percentage of all songs →← MorecompetitiveLesscompetitive →
1960s
0%10%20%30%40%Rafi dominates with hits likeKhoya Khoya Chand.
1970s
0%10%20%30%40%Still the era of the big four -Lata, Asha, Rafi and Kishore.
1980s
0%10%20%30%40%While Bhosle is the leadingfemale singer, Kishore Kumaris the popular male voice.
1990s
0%10%20%30%40%
2000s
0%10%20%30%40%
2010s
0%10%20%30%40%Arijit Singh and ShreyaGhoshal lead.
Who ruled, when
Percentage of songs the top singers sang in the top 50 Bollywood grossers (1950-2017)
19501960197019801990200020101950196019701980199020002010Geeta DuttLata MangeshkarAsha BhosleMohammed RafiKishore KumarMohammad AzizAmit KumarAnuradha PaudwalKumar SanuAlka YagnikUdit NarayanSunidhi ChauhanHimesh ReshammiyaShreya GhoshalArijit Singh
2008
1. Sunidhi Chauhan (12%)
2. Shreya Ghoshal (6%)
3. Himesh Reshammiya (5%)
Note: All singers who were the top-most singer in any year are listed.
So what led to an explosion of songs that were sung only by men?
Music composer Amit Trivedi, who currently produces most of the songs sung by women, says it’s simply a matter of what the script demands. “In Secret Superstar, where the film is about a female singer, there will naturally be more female songs,” Trivedi says. But Secret Superstar is an exception: today’s scripts demand more songs sung by men.
The shifting narrative in Bollywood is another factor. With a reduced focus on the family in Bollywood stories, there are fewer opportunities for female songs. “Earlier, there”d be one song for the mother, another for the sister, and a third for the mother-in-law,” says Ganesh Anantharaman, film historian and author of the National Film Award-winning Bollywood Melodies: A History of the Hindi Film Song.
Anantharaman also mentions the “merging of the vamp and herione into one” as a reason. In the 50s and 60s, Lata Mangeshkar would sing for the heroine, while Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt would sing for the vamp. As the concept of the vamp has vanished, only the heroine has a chance to sing.
Recently, Bollywood storylines have given more prominence to women. But that doesn't necessarily translate to more female songs because lip-sync is not as popular as it used to be. So even in female-centric films like Queen and Kahaani, there aren’t many songs sung by women.
Kahaani 2, the thriller from 2016 with a female protagonist, does not have a single female solo; contrast that with three solos sung by men. Yet there is also 2017’s Lipstick Under My Burkha, where every song is sung by only women.
Select a decade
- All
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s
List of songs in
| Aaur Main Khush Hoon | Ash King |
| Anandoloke | Clinton Cerejo |
| Lamhon Ke Rasgulle | Sunidhi ChauhanBianca Gomes |
| Mehram | Arijit Singh |
Methodology
We first scraped box office collections for Bollywood films from 1950-2017. All collections prior to 1994 were sourced from IBOS Network; ones after that are from Box Office India. Based on the collections, the songs of the top 50 films every year were collected from Hindi Geetmala, Wikipedia and official YouTube channels of production houses and record labels. Of the 3,400 films, we were able to find songs for all but 58 films.
That led to the creation of a database of about 25,000 songs, out of which we were able to determine the singers for approximately 24,000 songs.
After that, all singers were tagged manually for their gender and an analysis was done on the makeup of these albums. Instrumentals were excluded for the analysis.
Singer icons by Evgeni Moryakov and Vectors Market via the Noun Project.
QUESTION:- WILL WOMEN DISAPPEAR FROM SONGS OF FUTURE?
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