Opinion| From 'Mandi' to 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', has Bollywood’s portrayal of a sex worker evolved?

In the year 1983, Shyam Benegal, a director par excellence made 'Mandi' - a film on the lives of the sex workers of Hyderabad. The film carried a trove of method actors including Soni Razdan, playing the role of a young sex worker named Nadira. Her character emanated confidence. Her firm gait and presence could not be missed. Most strikingly, the lascivious jokes she cracked on people. Thirty-nine years later, at a time when cars can drive themselves, Bollywood’s understanding of a sex worker remains the same — fierce, but uncouth.

Sure, Alia Bhatt’s portrayal of 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', a sex worker turned brothel madam is empowering. But there is a problematic element in this narrative. The movie tends to romanticise the lives of Kamathipura sex workers to such an extent that it runs the risk of distracting the audience from the real-life circumstances of these women. The current reality of this profession is different. The sex workers of Kamathipura have been pushed to the brink due to the COVID-19-induced lockdowns. The only help they received was from a few non-profit organisations who provided them with daily essentials. Many were neck-deep in debt.

The 2013 mega-hit item number - Ghagra from the movie 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', was another episode of the precarious portrayal of sex workers. Women of the brothel speak broken English for comic effect. They talk about not knowing the fathers of their kids in a jocular tone. They engage in flirtatious games with the hero of the movie. This sums up their role.

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Shifting focus to Srijit Mukherjee’s 'Begum Jaan', Vidya Balan plays a brothel madam in the pre-partition era. She is not doing a five-minute cameo but is the protagonist all dolled - up in Sabyasachi assemble. She sits wide-legged, demanding respect from the audience. The brothel is her sanctum sanctorum.

No doubt, the movie breaks certain stereotypes and gives sex workers centre stage. But, the movie’s understanding of female autonomy is problematic. Towards the end, with no place to go, the sex workers allow themselves to be immolated by the fire inside their brothel. By branding this move as the face of female power, the movie falls into the vicious cycle of misrepresenting exploited communities.

In Benegal’s 'Mandi', the sex workers are pushed to the peripheries of the city. The same attempt is shown in Sanjay LeelaBansali’s 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', which the women overturn. This looks like a leap of social development on the big screen. But, is this really the case? Are women in Mumbai’s Kamathipura actually living in peace? Are they not wrongfully branded by society anymore?

Brothels are far from the regal affairs shown in item numbers. In 2020, The Delhi Commission for Women reported ‘inhumane conditions’ including zilch hygiene and a dearth of food in the red-light district of GB road in Delhi.

It is unfair to say that we haven't made any strides towards progressive cinema. 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' was a brave attempt. The only drawback was its myopic and somewhat utopian understanding of a sex worker. Fiction cannot exist in silos. It has to be in sync with material reality.

The COVID-19 pandemic makes it all the more crucial for cinema to be socially responsible, especially towards marginalised communities. We need to up our level of discourse.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)