Empowering Life On The Day Of The Girl Child

By Aditi Thakur | October 11, 2017

Today we celebrate the International Day Of The Girl Child. It is also called The Day Of The Girl. Although we see inequality everywhere, girls in particular have come a long way especially in our country. Yet, the path leading towards complete equality is a long and difficult one.

Girls in our country have certainly carved a niche for themselves; be it education, sports, entertainment, politics or the armed forces. Let us look at these songs which laud the girls in different areas and essaying different roles.

1. Kinare – Queen (2014)
Single and Complete – There was a time when getting married was the only purpose of a girl’s life. But thankfully today, a girl can survive independently without the support of anyone. In this movie, Kangana’s character is shown to break the social norm and refuses to take back her estranged beau who had left her at the altar.

This song is sung by Mohan Kanan and is composed by Amit Trivedi.

2. English Vinglish Title Track – English Vinglish (2012)
Understanding Self Worth – The film marked the comeback of the dancing queen Sridevi. In the movie she portrays a woman who is a dedicated wife and mother to a thankless family who finds her dignity and self worth simply by giving herself the priority. This song has two versions, one is sung by Shilpa Rao while the other is by Amit Trivedi who is also the composer.

3. Dhaakad – Dangal (2016)
The Powerful – The film deals with the bias towards girls in the sports department specially that of wrestling, a hardcore male dominated area in the northern part of India. A father proudly states that his daughters are no less than that of the boys and encourages them to take up the sports and even becomes their coach. This was based on a true story.

This swanky song is sung by Raftaar. It is composed by Pritam and the lyrics are by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

4. Murabba – Nil Battey Sannata (2016)
Dare To Dream – A house maid dreams that her child will get education and become a collector one day. It tells us about the everyday struggle of the people who constantly strive to break the moulds of society and rise up in the social strata with education as the weapon and how they are looked down upon every single moment.

Composed by newcomer duo Rohan and Vinayak, this soulful song is sung by Neuman Pinto and is written by Manoj Yadav.

5. Mardani Anthem – Mardani (2014)
The Brave – This Rani Mukherjee starrer was as crime thriller in which she portrayed a policewoman’s life and lived it to the core. The film had no songs per se, but an anthem which played in the background in some scenes and was used for the promotions of the movie as well. It is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and is composed by Salim-Sulaiman.

6. Ye Honsala – Dor (2006)
The Dignified – A Nagesh Kukunoor film, Dor saw two women from completely different backgrounds and thought processes cross each other’s paths. It shows the struggle of a young widow, her emotions, her dreams and even her struggle to keep her mind sane in order to live a life (or whatever is left of it).

The song became quite a hit from the moment it was released because of the simple music and heart-touching lyrics. It is composed by Salim-Sulaiman and lyrics were penned by Mir Ali Hussain while the vocals were provided by Shafqat Amaanat Ali Khan.

7. Filhaal Title Track – Filhaal… (2002)
Futuristic – Starring Tabu and Sushmita Sen in pivotal roles, this Meghna Gulzar film was quite ahead of times. It dealt with the subject of surrogacy and was critically acclaimed. The title track is sung by Asha Bhosle. Music was given by Anu Malik and lyrics were written by none other than Gulzar.

8. Jeete Hai Chal – Neerja (2016)
Saviour – This Sonam Kapoor starrer is a biographical film in which the story revolves around the hijacking of a plane and the way the protagonist, the head purser of the plane, saves many lives of the passengers but losing her own. The song is composed by Vishal Khurana and lyrics by Prasoon Joshi.

9. Ye Ishq Haai – Jab We Met (2007)
Love Yourself Unabashedly – This lively song is sung by Shreya Ghoshal and is composed by Pritam. It is featured on Kareena Kapoor playing the character of Geet, a character which was loved by the audience and became quite popular.

10. Gulaab Gang Title Track – Gulaab Gang (2014)
The Vigilante – This Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla starrer film is about the village women activists and defenders of other women in need. They are literate, trained in earning their own livelihood and don’t blink twice before punishing the wrong doer even if it means beating the life out of them.