This is simply because folk traditions, especially in Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, have spawned wicked lyrics. Only, when women sing what is commonly called ladies sangeet in Punjab, it is done more in fun than as a come-on. "But film lyricists today take a tukda from folk, twist it, then present the public music director Kalyanji, who has been in the industry for more than 40 years. "Now every producer believes that without a toofani song, folk or otherwise, his film will not sell." Although not as blatant as some recent songs, the trend truly took off with Ila Arun's Choli ke peechhey that helped create what the formula-crazed film world calls an 'item'. For practically every film, a love song, a romantic duet, a sad song and a rain or Holi song were necessary items. Now the list has been expanded to include heart-thumping, libido pumping songs that many in the industry coyly refer to as naught. After her Choli success, Arun went ahead and made it on MTV with a raw and earthy song, Bichhu, proving that folk can be as powerful as pop. On the question of bawdy lyrics, she says: "I'm an entertainer. There's no question of taking a moral stance on the matter." Trends don't just happen, explains lyrics writer Maya Govind, who wrote Dalaal's Gutur gutur. "Times change and trends reflect the new currents." She has written more than 450 film songs, but says when she writes the masala songs, at least there is someone listening to her. Picaresque lyrics writers have discovered that their time has come. And most will go to any extent to justify what amounts to little more than street-level obscenity. Indivar, who has been churning out movie songs for the last 35 years, says that a sex-starved population wants lyrics that can satiate its hunger. "Ultimately, it is better to sing about sex than to show violence," he believes. In Khuddar, starring Karisma and Govinda, the philosophy has helped explore newer depths in song writing. Credited to Indivar and sung by Alisha Chinoy and Anu Malik is a track that has the male voice saying: "Hi sexy, hello sexy. Listen sexy, what are you doing tonight.. let's have dinner." The female voice responds in a coquettish tone: "With you? F.O."