Stage dances, commonly referred to as Arkestra—a localized distortion of the word orchestra—have become integral to weddings, receptions, and other ceremonies in many villages across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. These Arkestra dancers are often invited to perform at political rallies organized by local leaders such as Pradhans and Mukhiyas, aiming to captivate large audiences.
While Arkestra dance might fall under the art and culture category, its current form has evolved into something much more sinister. There are countless harrowing stories of both sexual and mental exploitation faced by the young women performing on these stages. Over time, these performances have become increasingly vulgar, with a growing demand for nude Arkestra performances and explicit displays. This shift has significantly degraded the Arkestra dancer profession, causing them to face severe social stigma.
With the rise of social media, videos labeled’ Arkestra video,’ ‘sexy Arkestra,’ ‘Bhojpuri Arkestra,’ and ‘Arkestra night’ have become viral sensations. Yet, these dancers rarely receive societal respect as legitimate artists. Only a few manage to break into the Bhojpuri, Angika, or Magahi music industries, highlighting the harsh reality that most face an uphill battle for recognition.
These Arkestra dancers often endure harassment and abuse during their performances. Despite the presence of barriers around many stages, some individuals climb onto the stage to kiss or grope the dancers, targeting their private parts. This molestation occurs in front of hundreds of people, with the crowd often cheering such behavior, as it is wrongly considered part of the dancer’s job to entertain the audience by any means. Disturbingly, many of these girls are minors.
How do so many girls end up in a profession that lacks self-respect and social esteem? Are they willingly joining these Arkestra groups or being manipulated and coerced into performing? The truth is grim and complex.
Some have exposed the dark and ugly side of Arkestra performances, revealing tales of exploitation, harassment, manipulation, molestation, rape, and thuggery. Most of these girls come from extremely poor backgrounds in states with low socio-economic indicators, such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha, and a few from Nepal and Bangladesh.
Allegedly, there are organized rackets that lure these vulnerable girls with false promises of love, marriage, or job opportunities in different cities. Once these girls are emotionally involved and become physically intimate with their supposed lovers, they are blackmailed with videos of their private moments. Some willingly move to different cities with these men, hoping for a better life.
Upon arrival, they are often sold to Arkestra teams directly or indirectly through middlemen for amounts ranging from INR 5,000 to INR 50,000. Many are raped by the men who deceived them, the middlemen, and sometimes even by members of the Arkestra groups themselves. They are beaten repeatedly until they agree to perform on stage. Once these girls are isolated from their families, hometowns, and states, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to return home due to the stigma attached.
Over time, they adjust to their new environment and start performing as stage dancers. This scenario reveals a full-fledged human trafficking system that supplies labor for the thriving Arkestra industry. However, it’s important to note that some of these girls choose to perform, driven by the need to support their impoverished families financially.
Reports suggest that illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants are also involved in these human trafficking networks, often attempting to convert the girls they have entrapped.
Many of these performers are also coerced into working as call girls or prostitutes by the organizers. There are secretive, closed-door events organized by individuals or small groups where some of these girls are forced to perform. Most of these are nude Arkestra performances that often end in sexual assault, further exploiting these vulnerable young women.
We must explore the demand side of the Arkestra performance to understand why such dancers flourish in the rural areas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, and other regions. It’s not that these dances have suddenly emerged in the last decade or two; these performances have been a part of village ceremonies in Bihar and UP for a long time.
Traditionally, families would organize these dances to display their wealth and social status. However, the recent surge in vulgar stage performances goes beyond mere displays of affluence.
With the increased penetration of the internet and easy access to adult content on various websites, nude Arkestra and semi-nude Arkestra performances have become a quick means of gratification for men in rural areas. This phenomenon draws hundreds of young men who cheer, tease, and attempt to get as close as possible to the scantily clad dancers or even touch them.
There have been tragic instances where Arkestra dancers were kidnapped by men in the audience, dragged into nearby fields under cover of darkness, and brutally raped. In some cases, chaos at Arkestra performances has led to hooligans firing guns into the air, resulting in the accidental deaths of the dancers.
The root of this violence lies in the audience’s perception of these women—not as artists, but as objects for their gratification, similar to sex workers. This distorted view has led to degrading actions, such as men forcibly inserting their hands inside the dancers’ undergarments and groping them, or kissing them by force, leaving them humiliated and emotionally shattered.
The most disturbing aspect of the current trend in Arkestra dances is the inclusion of minor girls, as young as 12- 14 years of age, who perform vulgar Bhojpuri songs and are harassed by men in the audience, trying to touch them inappropriately. These girls are either daughters of Arkestra performers who force them to dance due to poverty or those trafficked. In the recent past, many videos have become viral on Twitter/ X and Facebook, with people outraging over the exploitation of minor girls and criticizing the depravity of people who indulge in such entertainment.
Rural villagers have limited entertainment options, such as theaters or malls, unlike cities and metropolitan areas. This scarcity of entertainment choices has contributed to the popularity of Arkestra dancers in these areas. The songs these girls perform are often filled with vulgar lyrics, part of a broader Bhojpuri music industry that profits from selling albums that can be described as audio erotica.
Since these stage performances are open-air, with no entry barriers or very low ticket prices, the audience often includes many underage boys. This situation does not bode well for fostering a woman-friendly environment in villages. Open displays of objectification and nudity corrupt young minds and threaten the moral fabric of society at large, leading to a broader societal decline.
Even more shocking is local administrations’ lack of any serious effort to curb this growing menace. The Arkestra sector seems to operate with little to no regulation, despite abundant evidence of vulgar performances readily available on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Although some NGOs are dedicated to addressing this issue, the scale of the problem is so vast that their efforts are largely ineffective.
Without formal administrative intervention, the solution may lie in community policing. It is essential for the elder and educated members of the villages to unite and pressure event organizers to cease these exploitative performances, possibly with the threat of legal action if they fail to comply.
Change must originate from within the community itself. Families should prioritize hosting only respectable cultural performances rather than allowing lewd, erotic dances. Often, demands for such entertainment come from the groom’s side during wedding festivities to entertain the baraati. The younger generation must resist making such requests, and if the groom’s family insists, the bride’s family should firmly oppose it.
Reducing the demand for erotic Arkestra dances will help restore dignity to the performers and ensure a healthier societal environment.
