Picture this: At a posh multiplex in Delhi, the film Phir Milenge is screened. At the end of the rather sensitive and educating film, a young corporate executive says, ‘Yaar, the movie was a crashing bore. Had there been one or two nice scenes, you know, at least it would have been paisa vasool.’

Abraham Maslow said that hunger, thirst and sex are the three most basic needs- the three basic instincts of every human being. But these instincts have to be regulated- not suppressed.

Let’s go back- to India, the land of the Kama Sutra, the land of Sage Vatsyayana, the land of the Khajuraho temples. No other land has explored the realms of sex and sexuality like India. Lovemaking was taught as an art and technique. Sex was not a dirty word- it was out in the open, to be discovered and explored freely- physically, mentally and spiritually. Sex was, in fact, even believed by many, to be a medium to be in union with God.

Priests gained power and preached fake morality to gain power. Invaders came and went. The Mughals brought with them the burqa, the British- their prudish Victorian laws and sex and sexuality was suppressed in the minds of Indians for hundreds of years. Sex became shrouded in mystery, a dirty word not to be said aloud in public.

Cut to circa 2006- and years and years of sexual subjugation and suppression have led the volcano to finally erupt. India has sadly, but truly become a land of voyeurs. Voyeurism has almost become enshrined in the collective consciousness of Indians. It is not just the act itself- the word itself gets most Indians so excited that they either close their eyes and ears, or jump in glee at the very sound of it.

It is actually quite easy to understand why India is witnessing a porn revolution now. Porn mania was always there- it’s just that earlier technology wasn’t so advanced. The facts coming up may sound bitter, but the fact is that facts simply cannot be sugar coated.

This is just the scene at a small market in Delhi- the ‘business’ has mushroomed everywhere- from huge metros to tiny, nondescript hamlets.

Sex helps technology sell, technology helps sex sell. From the internet to magazines, from TV and camera phones to CDs: smut and sleaze is available with utmost ease. India is simply getting obsessed with all things triple X. First came the DPS clip, then we were subjected to Kareena and Shahid’s- well, 'slip of tongues', then the great Shakti Kapoor India TV ‘expose’, Mallika Sherawat (as if her films weren’t torrid enough) and so on. Last heard, Sania Mirza was in an MMS clip. Not playing tennis- that, I assure you.

Welcome to the new India- where cows eat hay, and we see new MMSes everyday. I don’t possess a cell phone, let alone a camera phone yet one can’t escape hearing such news every now and then. The need for titillation has seeped into every form of the media- be it serials, cinema, newspapers, magazines or even news channels.

While Ekta Kapoor’s serials show Prerna’s sexcapades, Mandira Bedi’s ‘noodle straps’ have all men ogling at her, rather than the cricket match. Priyanka Chopra performs weird seductive dances before a rather bewildered Akshay Kumar in Aitraaz, while Ms. Sherawat prances, dances and pirouettes, pouting her lips to perfection, in dresses (gulp) a size too small- that actually reveal more than they manage to conceal. The salivating frontbenchers meanwhile, drool like dogs, panting for more.

The Times of India prints a series of stills from recent MMS clips in its (in)famous second page. The ‘objectionable’ portions are of course blocked, by flesh-toned bands as thin as possible (not to hurt ‘readers sensibilities’, they say), leaving little to the imagination. India Today and Outlook publish highly educative surveys answering important questions like- ‘Do Indians prefer making love with the lights turned on, or off?’(Generously accompanied by suitable illustrations) Our spicy news channels for their part make sure that the underprivileged- those unfortunate people bereft of camera phones don’t miss out on any MMS action!

Sex is something that every person thinks of, but unfortunately, in the case of the average Indian, it is becoming one of the only things he thinks of. It’s eight in the morning, and you see a poor labourer rushing off somewhere in  a hurry. Don’t be fooled, he’s not going to work. The hangover of last nights booze is not yet over, and off he is- to catch the ‘morning show’ at the nearby cinema theatre. 

Like it or not, believe it or not- India has truly sunk its teeth deep into the flesh of the rosy, juicy flesh of the forbidden fruit. Amen.

© 2006 - Jahan Singh Bakshi