A garlanded woman in a whitesari poses inside a painting that is reminiscent of Raja Ravi Varma ’ s artworks on Hindu nymphs and goddesses . As the sari-clad muse comes to life , Ayesha Takia ’ s character instantly befriends her . It is hinted that this friendship turns into love as they love spending time with each other and engaging in silly dance routines . It might just be a deep friendship but what is clear is that Takia ’ s glances towards her painted friend are way more loving than her reactions towards the aforementioned boy who does nothing except flaunting his jawline .
Towards the end , the boy catches Takia and her companion dancing together upon which Takia ’ s face evokes signs of stress . And just like that , the video ends abruptly . While the video caught the
fancy of several young indie-pop listeners of that decade , it has been interpreted with a new lens by listeners today .
Pathak has never explicitly commented on the queer undertones of Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye but it is clear from the video ’ s ending scene that the central romance ( or friendship as some might see it ) was forbidden in nature . That ’ s the reason why Takia ’ s character wishes to hide her newfound partner away not only from the boy who is after her but also her mother and the house ’ s butler . Given the fact that the 2000 song was released just a few years after Deepa Mehta ’ s highlycontroversial lesbian romance Fire , it was obviously not a wise marketing choice to explicitly depict a same-sex relationship . And yet Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye ’ s subtle attempts at subverting the “ boy-meets-girl ” formula marked a bold choice for an independent Indian pop single .
Today , Falguni Pathak continues to enjoy her status as the “ Dandiya Queen ” and no high-profile Navratri performance is complete without her tunes . But apart from her popstar persona , Pathak ’ s throwback single is influential in breaking away from mainstream pop conventions .
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