Life of sex workers: Glamour vs reality

While ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ avoids resorting to stereotypes, Hindi cinema has a long way to go in realistically depicting the lives of prostitutes

Expecting an authentic portrayal of sex workers in Hindi films is akin to seeing mellow romance in Quentin Tarantino flicks. There are numerous tell-tale signs to support this.

What is common among the following songs – ‘Ghaghra’ from ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani’ (2013), ‘Fevicol Se’ from ‘Dabangg 2’ (2012), and ‘Kajra Re’ from ‘Bunty Aur Babli’ (2005)? Perhaps the most obvious similarity is the setting of the item numbers, i.e., the customary kotha.

Chandramukhi in ‘Devdas’ (2002) famously said, “Tawaifs don’t have a destiny”. “Her opinion, however, would change if she watched Hindi films about the lives of sex workers,” says Vivek, a Mumbai-based film appreciation professor.

“It doesn’t matter whether they’re tawaifs, or courtesans or ordinary sex workers; on the screen, they are empowered women, often seen in Manish Malhotra outfits,” adds Vivek.

Unlike how you see them in films, sex workers aren’t women in expensive designer clothes. Neither do they sing and dance their way into a man’s heart. Battle-hardened, yet tender, these are the women who survive in the underbellies of India.

Showtime took two sex workers from Bengaluru for a show of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ (2022) to get their views on the film.

While Rupa and Sushma (names changed) found the film to be an engaging affair, they admit that they are still in search of authentic representation of their lives in films, those that empathise with them. For instance, they ask, why are sex workers always witty seductresses with a particular body type, generally of fair complexion?

Not all sex workers are victims as some choose the profession deliberately. But there are others to whom fate dealt a heavy blow.

Rupa was introduced to the world of a brothel when she was still a teenager, struggling to cope with a tragic circumstance, she recollects. Brothels in cinema are shown as well-lit places with esteemed clientele and spacious rooms amid the buzz of a city. Bhansali’s set in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ is so visually appealing that it sometimes takes the focus away from the misery of sex workers.

According to Rupa, “brothels are squalid cells of misery and torture that a sex worker must endure daily.”

“A typical day brings in between 20 to 25 clients. The rooms are small and dingy. A sex worker works nonstop for 8-10 hours,” says Sushma. Films such as Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (2008) have accurately depicted this.

In popular culture, female sex workers are strong and fearless boss-women with autonomy and agency. Gangu’s case is no exception. Gangu (played by Alia Bhatt) was up for any challenge, whether it was pimps or patrons. A brothel owner, she soars to the top and dismisses her hurdles.

While that’s inspiring, Rupa throws more light on the hardships faced in her job. “One cannot simply get away if one misbehaves with a pimp. Pimps have their own methods of exacting a payback. All manner of harm is at their disposal. Pimps can tell our families about our profession despite us keeping it a secret,” she explains.

“Filmmakers exaggerate and use larger-than-life characters to justify the ‘escape’ promised by them to the public,” feels Amrita Pratap, a Bengaluru-based lawyer, and a cinema aficionado. “There is no way to accomplish that using straightforward representations. However, the movie audience leaves the theatre with a false impression,” she expressed.

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