`Item song` sounds derogatory: Kareena Kapoor

New Delhi: She has grooved to chartbusters like "Chhammak challo", "Chhalliya", "It`s rocking" and "Mauja hi mauja" - but actress Kareena Kapoor says she finds the term "item song" derogatory. She has also clarified that she is yet to accept a song in Salman Khan`s ‘Dabangg 2’.

"I hate that word item song," Kareena said in an emphatic tone at the India Today Conclave 2012 Friday. "It`s become a trend among directors and producers...`Chalo ek item number daal dete hain (Let`s put in an item number)`. I don`t like this word item number. Why can`t it just be called a song," she added. The 31-year-old says hit dance numbers deserve more respect, just the way yesteryear dancer Helen used to command through her songs. "In the 1960s, when Helen aunty used to do a song, my mom has told me, that she used to get scared and used to say `Oh my god, Helenji is going to do a song in our movie`. So she always knew she might not be noticed (in the film), given Helen aunty`s personality and the command that she respected," said Kareena. "I just find something very derogatory about songs being called item numbers. I wish people just refer to them as just songs because songs make our Hindi films. They are what make our films global. "When I walk the streets of London, fans come up and talk about `Chhammak challo`, `You are my soniya` and songs of `Jab We Met`. Songs are part of our culture, we should be proud of them," added the actress, who has shot a mujra song for her forthcoming film ‘Agent Vinod’. She has also been offered a song in the sequel to blockbuster ‘Dabangg’. "They have spoken to me about it. But we haven`t decided anything yet. Salman has been saying you should do it, it will look great. But I don`t want to do an item song...I want to do a good song in a good film like `Dabangg 2`," she said in a diplomatic way. IANS