SHAURYA SINGH THAPA
Falguni Pathak ’ s Meri Chunnar Udd Udd Jaye explored a bold romance for its times Score Indie Classics
Falguni Pathak is often thought of as that “ one Garba singer who performs every Navratri ” but she is much more than that . It is true that Pathak played a major role in making Gujaratilanguage garba music more mainstream by rebranding it with pop beats but her music also stood for expressing one ’ s identity however they wish to .
Sporting short hair and wearing androgynous clothes , she defied the look of what a female popstar should look like . She set herself apart with her unconventional appearance and even her feel-good music seems to be reflective of a wave of change .
In fact , some of her music is regarded highly amongst queer listeners in India and they have even crowned her as a “ queer icon ”. Whether this was Pathak ’ s intention or not , her discography has helped in destigmatising identities that don ’ t conform to the usual heterosexual notions of society .
In this context , it is important to discuss Pathak ’ s breakaway hit Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye .
The early 2000s-era classic is a romantic song in its essence as the singer feels the warm , fuzzy feelings while spending time with a new lover . Even bolder is the choice of the music video that was quite bold for its times .
The video starts off with a young girl ( played by actress Ayesha Takia way before her mainstream fame ) living in a posh house as a dove-eyed boy stares at her . It is clear that the boy is infatuated with a girl and is probably all set to marry her in 90s Bollywood-like fashion . However , the female protagonist hides a secret .
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