Bollywood probes sex trade yet again

Hindi cinema's interpretation of the so-called oldest profession in the world has been ever evolving. While earliest films like 'Pyaasa' painted a picture of abject tragedy, films like 'Umrao Jaan', 'Pakeezah' and 'Devdas' depicted courtesans as women with refined sense of music and poetry. Their exploitation was often glossed over and they came across as tragic, gorgeous women of taste who sacrificed their lives for the men they loved.

Shoma A. Chatterji, author of 'Woman: A Study of the Portrayal of Women in Indian Cinema', explains that the virtual domination of male filmmakers in Bollywood then had meant that patriarchy and markets dictated how sex-workers and the politics of prostitution are projected in the Hindi film industry.

More recently, Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Chandni Bar', Sudhir Mishra's 'Chameli', Manisha Koirala's 'Market' Deepak Shivdasani's 'Julie' and Kalpana Lazmi's 'Chingaari' have tried to demystify and deglamourise the lives of sex workers.

In 'Chandini Bar', Tabu performed the sexy dance sequences inside the club much like any mechanical, routine job and worked hard to educate her child. Kareena Kapoor in 'Chameli' was a foul-mouthed young woman, who is cynical about relationships but knows how to invest her hard-earned money for a secure future. For all her curtness she still has a soft side to her as she tries to educate a young boy and prevents him from taking to vices like smoking.