While singer-rappers Honey Singh and Badshah seem to be embroiled in a feud, their contentious 2009 track, Volume 1, has once again brought them under scrutiny. The Delhi High Court has ordered both artists to promptly remove their 2006–07 song Volume 1 from all social media platforms. The court noted that the song is extremely vulgar, clearly obscene, and demeaning to women, as well as to artistic values and societal norms.
The judicial declaration
The court observed that the lyrics are not simply offensive but are, on their face, designed to normalise depicting women as objects of mockery and sexual gratification. It further ruled that allowing such material to be distributed online, including making it accessible to minors, cannot be defended under the pretext of artistic freedom of expression.
In its statement, the court observed, “This is one of the exceptional cases in which the court’s conscience is shaken to its very core. It is an unfortunate example where the court concludes that the song is blatantly vulgar, clearly obscene, and demeaning to women, artistic standards, and societal norms. The lyrics are not simply disrespectful or offensive; they are, on their face, designed to normalise viewing women as objects of mockery and sexual gratification.”
No civilized society can allow such material.
The court held that interim directions must be issued, as permitting the circulation of such material on online platforms, including its availability to minors, cannot be justified under the pretext of artistic freedom of expression. It stated that no civilized society can allow such content to remain freely accessible or be used for profit. Accordingly, Respondent No. 4 (Spotify), Respondent No. 5 (Honey Singh), and any other individuals asserting rights over the allegedly obscene song(s) are ordered to immediately remove the URLs carrying this content from social media platforms and all other online locations.
Badshah and Honey Singh launched their careers together as part of the rap collective Mafia Mundeer, which also included Ikka, Lil Golu, and Raftaar. The group produced several hit tracks, including Khol Botal, Begani Naar Buri, and Delhi Ke Deewane, among others. Their last performance took place in 2012. After internal disputes and a public fallout, the two artists split and began taking jabs at each other on social media.
Meanwhile, last month Badshah became entangled in a controversy after releasing his track Tateeree. The song drew criticism from various sections of the audience, with many viewers condemning its allegedly explicit lyrics and visuals, which they argued were inappropriate. In response to the backlash, Badshah posted an apology on Instagram, stating that he never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments.