Modern and feminine

Rapper pankhuri awasthi, who shot to internet fame after her #rapagainstrape video went viral, returns with a video that negotiates the concept of the ‘modern woman’, and plans to focus on the topic of intolerance next

Who is a modern woman An enigma A complex hybrid Or an oxymoron After her powerful video #RapagainstRape that went viral last year, young rapper Pankhuri Awasthi, who raps under the moniker Bombaeb, has come up with her latest rap track titled Modern Woman:Version 2016 that aims at unveiling the mystery of what a modern woman is all about. In the video, inspired by American stand-up comedian and social critic George Carlin’s I’m a modern man, Pankhuri explains the very many attributes of a modern age woman: “A modern woman is a tomboy, a killjoy, a jaywalker, a smooth talker, a seductress and yet a damsel in distress I’m in sync but outlandish I’m a feminist who loves men I’m old school yet a modern great I’m fragile but strong willed I’m no sinner, I’m no saint High on life but not on drugs ”

Talking about how the idea came to her, Pankhuri explains, “You see them everywhere and they are of all kinds. A modern woman is a melting pot of all virtues. Being a VJ with popular channels and a trained singer, and having been associated with the entertainment industry for quite some time, I have come across several accomplished women who suffer in their personal relationships. Hence, a modern woman could be someone high on IQ but low on EQ! For instance, The Devil wears Prada based on Anna Wintour’s life is actually true for most working women, who could actually be ruling the roost in their professional space but may be very coy at home and inept at handling household activities. A modern woman is not the extreme alpha woman. She is a beautiful, complicated hybrid of many qualities.”

There are multiple virtues that make a modern woman. “It is a beautiful confluence of varying opposites. A new age woman is a hopelessly romantic pragmatist, an intellectual giant, an emotional wreck, a showstopper, a wallflower, a slam dunk hit-maker challenging her predicament, living the low-key high life or under-nourished and hyper-caffeinated at the same time. She wants to get ahead in her life and try to do the best job of managing her work and her personal life,” elaborates Pankhuri, who is highly influenced by American rapper Lauryn Hill and Eminem’s powerful rap tracks.

Pankhuri firmly believes that rapping is no longer a male prerogative, and with the rise of the Internet, the genre has come a long way.

“From being considered ‘underground music’ in the 90s, today the genre has gone mainstream. Even the themes that rap songs follow are completely relevant in today’s world and the lyrics mostly revolve around the underlying issues of society or teenage problems,” the young rapper says.

She adds, “Rappers are like modern-age poets; rapping is an effective way of storytelling, which is more impactful and long-lasting. Personally, I want to utilise the power of spoken words and my lyrical content to spread socially relevant messages.”

Pankhuri has a distinctive approach while talking about gender inequality and women empowerment, and likes to spread messages about breaking several social barriers while rapping. “My next video is going to be based on the whole debate around intolerance in India. I also want to utilise the medium for talking about the issues that are close to my heart— the lives of sex workers and the ill-treatment faced by stray dogs,” she concludes.