Guru Randhawa in the music video. Photo: Guru Randhawa/YouTube
Guru Randhawa’s recent song, “Azul” has embroiled the Punjabi singer-songwriter in controversy, with many social media users accusing him of hyper sexualizing schoolgirls. In a problematic music video that was trending at #9 on YouTube at the time of writing, Randhawa plays a photographer smitten by a young schoolgirl. The video shows young girls dressed in school uniforms dancing provocatively and interacting flirtatiously with the singer-songwriter, all while he nonchalantly ogles them. Using formulaic fantasy sequences like car washes and cheerleader routines, the visuals have drawn criticism for normalizing the schoolgirl fetish trope. Many also expressed discomfort around the lyrics of the song, which liken the young girls to bottles of alcohol.
On one hand, many Indian YouTubers are calling out the video for normalizing the objectification of minors in the name of “art”. On the other, the YouTube comment section of the music video—which amassed over 41 million views in less than a month—witnessed fans praising the artist’s “comeback,” seemingly unfazed by the questionable content. This reaction has only deepened the backlash, raising questions about how much people are willing to overlook or minimize when it comes to such sensitive topics.
Many Instagram creators and pages also called out the song, raising concerns over the popularity of a music video like this in a country where sexual violence against women and minors is a widespread issue. Many were also quick to point out that Randhawa had limited his comment section on Instagram.
This is not the first time the “schoolgirl” trope has been used in mainstream media. Britney Spears was just 16 years old when she starred in her music video, ‘Hit me Baby One More Time’, transforming plaid skirts, Mary Janes, knee-high socks, and pigtails into sex symbols. Early 2000s US TV shows, such as Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl, have also played a part in normalizing illicit teacher-student relationships. From Halloween costumes to movies, the trope is a direct reflection of pedophilic fantasies rooted in patriarchy. Originally popularized by Japanese manga and anime, it also had its Western iterations through the innocent “Catholic schoolgirl.” Overly infantilized and unreasonably promiscuous, the trope is associated with virginal innocence.
Rolling Stone India reached out to Randhawa’s team for comment and will update the story accordingly.
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