To me, few things are sexier than an invitation to be sexy. And invitations, like flirtations—like sex itself—take delightfully different forms, from the playful to the seductive, the direct to the coy, everything in between, and beyond.
And people have always found ways to invite other people to do naughty, fun things with them, no matter the language, or historical period, often through music
Hamari Atariya Pe Aao Sawariya by Begum Akhtar
Witness the direct, flirtatious invitation to lock gazes (and presumably a lot more) in Hamri atariya pe aao sawariya immortalised by Begum Akhtar. It starts off by an invitation to the terrace, where they can look their fill of each other. Then it skips to chaste Urdu, explaining that when the singer looks at their beloved, there is a whole world captured there. Conversation, partings, and the deliciousness of (presumably stolen) meetings. Back to the earthier Bhojpuri pleading for love and then a reminder, that all arguments will cease, if only the beloved comes to their door (have YOU ever tried to sustain an argument in the middle of a really good snog
Raat Baaki, Baat Baaki Hona Hai Jo (Namak Halal)
The invitation that dares and challenges in Raat baaki has Parveen Babi at her (I’m going to take a break here and let you fill in adjectives because everything falls flat. Sizzling. Smouldering. Gorgeous.
In a shimmering black dress, she shimmies, pouts, whistles, and flirts with the (no other apt descriptor for him) debonair and charming Shashi Kapoor. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan stares open-mouthed at this brazen display of sexiness and tries an Uncleji smile to block them out of the frame and pretend that no sizzle is happening behind him. I mean who needs more of an invitation than “kashti jawan dil ki toofan se takra gayi” and “hota hai jo, ho jaane do”?
Aaiye Meherbaan (Howrah Bridge)
Smouldering se yaad aayi, toh it’s the sunshine goddess of the black and white Hindi film era, Madhubala, and her turn in Aaiye meherbaan in Howrah Bridge. (By god ki kasam, if she looked at me with those eyes like that, she would queer this straight writer for life, or maybe only for Madhubala.) An invitation to literally joust in the lists of love as they said in olden days. And supreme confidence in the invitation to test that sexiness. “Dekha machal ke jidhar, Bijli gira di udhar/ kis ka jala aashiyaan, Bijli ko ye kya khabar?
Lag Ja Gale (Woh Kaun Thi?)
Were people just more sexy in black and white, or is it just me? There’s Sadhana in Woh Kaun Thi, fronting Lag ja gale, an invitation to embrace her, and the moment, as if there will never be another chance again. And isn’t that how we all should love? Like there’s no tomorrow? There is a bittersweet, almost desperate longing in last embraces, in breakup sex that makes it extra special. And an invitation to that? Well, it happens only once if you’re lucky with one person, so make the most of it.
APT by Rose and Bruno Mars
Living in the now of more contemporary—and direct—times a.k.a. aaj ke din, there’s my current earworm (thank you Gen Alpha) APT. by Rosé (of Blackpink) and Bruno Mars. It’s as direct an invitation as you can get with no messing around. “Kissy face kissy face, sent to your phone, but I want to kiss your lips for real.” And the catchy refrain “Don’t you want me like I want you baby, don’t you need me like I need you now? Sleep tomorrow but tonight go crazy. All you gotta do is just meet me at the APT.”
(Side note, APT fascinated me enough to go find out what it’s all about. It’s a Korean drinking game.)
Richa Dubey is an inveterate dabbler; aspiring dilettante at heart; proletarian IRL. Tried to live by “hum hain rahi pyaar ke humse kucch na boliye. Jo bhi pyar se mila hum usi ke ho liye.
