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Unravelling The Language Of Consent In Qala's “Ghodey Pe Sawaar”

This article dissects Qala's lead single 'Ghode Pe Sawaar', through a feminist lens.

Published:May 2, 2026 at 06:42 PM5 min read
Unravelling The Language Of Consent In Qala's “Ghodey Pe Sawaar”
Correspondent : Ananya Barath

Despite being released merely days ago, Chiraiya has already stirred up quite the storm, forcing people to confront their own biases regarding consent and bodily autonomy in our country. Through all of the divisive conversations, it seems only fitting to take a look back into the 2022 film 'Qala' and its themes of female erasure.

For if Chiraiya is the loud, uncomfortable mirror held up to society's face today, Anvita Dutta's Qala was the soft, melancholic whisper that exposed the rot in our historical foundations of art and gender.

A feminist psychodrama set in the 1930s, it narrates the turbulent journey of a female singer, doomed to face the harrowing role she played in her brother’s unfortunate death. But more than that, it explores the depths to which the patriarchal mindset echoes in the music industry.

Tripti Dimri delivers a captivating performance as the titular character, bringing to attention her thorny relationship with her mother Urmila and the multifaceted demonstration of prejudices towards her through both male and female figures of authority.


The film's lead single 'Ghodey Pe Sawaar', explores the complex realms of womanhood amidst the patriarchal undertones that seep into every moment of the film. Composed by Amit Trivedi, it is particularly interested in women’s prescribed roles in the first half of the 20th century.

Narrating the tale of a newly married couple, the song highlights the neglected consent of the bride who is left to ponder as to how she could possibly address her wishes and needs. It also talks about the hurry and the impatience carried by men when it comes to relationship commitment.

This can be attributed to the portrayal of consent in Bollywood movies and songs that have only objectified women and depicted them as sex toys. Most “item” songs are a testament to the existing masculinity that overpowers a woman’s opinion with the lack of consideration for consent having only made restrictions on women tighter. Moreover, consent is often mistakenly viewed as a relationship in between sexes where women are ‘held to consent to men’, rather than to an ‘egalitarian sexual relationship’.


[Chorus]
धीरे-धीरे जतन करने से
दुल्हनिया के खुलते ह्रदय के द्वार हैं
जाने बलमा घोड़े पे क्यूँ सवार है
जाने बलमा घोड़े पे क्यूँ सवार है

While the bride in the song is not entirely unwilling, she is still hesitant in communicating her thoughts on consent to her husband who is so madly in love with her that he doesn’t for a second stop to question whether it’s something she would want as well.

One of the earlier scenes in the movie shows Qala witnessing her mother having a sexual encounter with the producer to get Jagan, her brother into the industry and paints a very pathetic picture of talent being subjected to only men’s desires. Clearly, a women’s refusal to engage in any sort of romantic or physical entanglement is often taken as a challenge rather than a clear signal to stay away.

In the song he views her desire to slow down not as a choice to respect but as a sign to try harder to convince her. This prevalent mindset of “convincing” her is a harmful one perpetuated endlessly.


[Verse 1]
बालों में बढ़ के गजरा लगाना
नज़दीक आने का है बहाना
सब जान के भी, छलिया के छल से
मुश्किल है बच पाना

[Pre-Chorus]
हो, अखियों से ठग के
भरना वो जाने बतियों से जुर्माना

Using flowers to adorn her hair is yet another approach to draw attention. The bride is swayed by his repeated advances to appease her, finding them difficult to resist. He deceives with his eyes but proves his innocence with his saccharine talks and dismisses her autonomy. He uses repeated seductive tactics to manipulate her, a resultant of his feelings of entitlement. Leading her to momentarily forget about her stances on consent.

[Chorus]
हाँ, जो मैं टोकूँ, कहा ना मेरा माने
भवों को ऐसे ताने, बहस बेकार है
जाने बलमा घोड़े पे क्यूँ सवार है
जाने बलमा घोड़े पे क्यूँ सवार है

The last stanza portrays the unwilling nature of the bridegroom to heed to his lover’s words. He simply refuses to take her thoughts and feelings into consideration, keeping only his desires in mind. This gives us a glimpse of the unbalanced structure of their relationship. His insistence and unbothered state of mind when it comes to her needs demonstrates that there is a clear self-imposed position of authority.

What's interesting to note is the repeated use of the phrase “Jane balma ghode pe kyun sawaar”. While the terminology brings about vivid imagery of a bridegroom trailblazing on a horse, it is also a subtle metaphor for rushing into something.

There is a painstakingly long sequence in the film where Qala’s recording her first film song and the producer takes his time with her, refusing to rush through the recording process, insisting multiple takes, restarting over and over to his satisfaction. She nearly falls apart as a result of her nervousness and abuse.


Qala is then forced to have an incredibly rushed exploitative intimate relationship with her producer in order to get ahead with her career, leaving her buried in a cycle of guilt, shame and self-loathing. The change in body language when she finds a way to bury the pain and adopt a persona is near-miraculous.

Ultimately, the song does a perfect job at portraying the importance of communicating about consent in a relationship, not to mention, the deteriorating effects of having one’s voice and desires dampened. With Ghodey Pe Sawaar serving as a biting critique of historic struggle, especially in a country where even educated men struggle to grasp the meaning of a simple, two letter word - 'NO.'

This article is written by Ananya Barath, a second-year BA Mass Communication student who is fueled by an obsession with stories that blend the ancient with the modern (yes, she's the type to speculate whether Iron Man would beat Theseus in battle).
Tags
#ghodey pe sawaar#urmila#qalas#jane#jagan#ananya barath#qala

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