Hyderabad, June 10 -- Indian cinema's old "item song" formula is no longer getting the easy pass it once did. What was earlier sold as mass entertainment, glamour or harmless fun is now being questioned sharply by younger audiences, especially when the camera, lyrics and choreography reduce women to bodies instead of characters.

The latest discussion started after visuals of Mouni Roy as Shammo from Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai surfaced online. Mouni's role had already caught attention after the trailer showed her as Varun Dhawan's mother in the David Dhawan film, a casting choice that the internet found bizarre because the two actors are close in age. Now, her song visuals have sparked a different debate, with internet users calling out...