S.

Haider1

Sakina Haider

Life of a Prostitute
Society has divided the role of women into five different categories. This dialogue
of Shahrukh Khan from the movie Devdas (2002) clearly explains what these five
categories are; “Aurat maa hoti hai, behen hoti hai, patni hoti hai, dost hoti hai ..aur
jab who kuch nahi hoti, tou tawaif hoti hai.” 1Tawaif- or a Courtesan is a prostitute,
who according to Merriam Webster dictionary is a woman who engages in
promiscuous sexual relations for money. The above definition is extremely biased
because there are different types of prostitutes and the definition given above
represent only a single type of tawaif who prostitutes herself for money. Some
Prostitutes are sometimes only dancers and entertainers (mujrewali), some are
worshippers (devdasi), some are part of the court of nawab and nobles, the ones
closed to them (concubines) and some are private entertainers in the courts of
noblemen and aristocrats (courtesan). But what is common in all of them is that all
of them know the art of dancing, singing and entertainment.

1
I kept the dialogues in Roman English even though they were originally said in Hindi/Urdu in order to create
emphasis on words which do not have emphasis when are said in English.
 S.Haider2

Singing and dancing has been a part of South Asian culture particularly India since
its very inception and Indians are recognized for their love of songs, dance, poetry
and celebration. As courtesans have always been a part of South Asian Society, it
helped the directors create flavorful films which not only included their culture
through dance and music by courtesans but also helped in incorporating themes of
love, betrayal, hope and passion and helped them create a socialist commercial
cinema. They were used for their extraordinary dance performances and singing
and for their voluptuous figures to incite the audience and make them watch the
film with interest.

“If the image {of women in the cinema} is submissive or secondary, it is the
society who is responsible for it…. Filmmakers, keeping in mind the
commercial aspect of films, simply highlight what exists.”(Booth 2007)2

The above statement clearly explains that whatever aspect of life or women in this
case is shown in movies is a reflection of society itself. So that means South Asian
Society itself has been like that since the beginning and saw courtesans in those
lights and that’s why the filmmakers created such images of those women in
cinema.

2
Booth, GD. "Making a Woman From a Tawaif- Courtesan as heroes in hindi cinema." Newyork Journal of Asian
Studies, 2007: 1-26.
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The character of a courtesan has evolved since its creation.31935- Devdas by P.C
Barva was said to be the first South Asian film to portray a courtesan as a major
character. Courtesans in South Asian cinema have gone through several different
transitions. From being born as a daughter of a courtesan, to being kidnapped and
sold to brothel, from being a simple girl from a respectable family whose only
income comes from brothels to being a cabaret dancer or being an upper class
escort. From being a mythical witch (Dayan) who lure men and gets what she
wants, to being a mythical serpent (ItshadhariNagin) or from being a mermaid to
being a fairy from fairy land. There is hardly any role which is left for a Courtesans
character to portray in South Asian Cinema.

Now as to why a respectable woman of a household is not shown to be dancing,

singing, inciting men like a courtesan? Well because as Devdas said, a woman can
either be a tawaif or can belong to one of those four categories. A tawaif is
considered an abomination, a woman who goes against her culture and family to
earn money. Cinema in a way has helped the society think into this matter by
making these courtesans play powerful roles and emerge victorious. In the past
even thinking about “love” was considered wrong for a tawaif. In Anjuman (1970),
when the courtesan says that she wants love in her life and that she is tired of being
a courtesan, she gets scolded and reminded that past is a witness that no one has
ever loved a tawaif and never will. Not just in the movie Anjuman, this was
repeatedly shown in almost every single film which had tawaif in its narrative.

3
I will use the word courtesan instead of a prostitute.
 S.Haider4

In Laaga Chunari mein Daag, Jaya Bachchan (Vibha’s mother) gets worried when
Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan), proposes Vibha (Rani Mukherjee), and says that she
dreamt that atleast one of her girls (shubhavari), being married off but now even
that is not possible. Shubhavari was the sister of Vibhavari, an upper class escort
and was being married off to Rohan’s brother Vivaan. She was afraid that now
because of “tawaif blood” running in her veins, she cannot get married. It’s a
misconception that Tawaif’s cannot marry anyone belonging to a respectable
family because of the Tawaif Blood (Bad Blood), running in their veins. In Devdas
(2002), when Paro comes searching for Devdas to Chandramukhi’s place, Paro
tells her “Tawaifonkitaqdeermeinshoharnahihuakarte.” to which, Chandramukhi
replies “tawaifonkitoutaqdeer hi nahihuakarti.”

Tawaifs are only to be played with, an abominable creature who according to

society, doesn’t have feelings. As Anjuman (1970) said to bhabhi,
“anjumantouekbiknewalicheezhai, benaamarzokaekkhilona, jiskemathe par
tawaifkanamlikhahuahai.” What she said is completely true, the society does
consider Tawaif’s as a toy, an animal to be played with. They are not even
considered a human being, let alone a woman.
 S.Haider5

SahirLudhianvi tragically reveals the curtains from the lives of these women, he
says;

“Aurat ne janamdiaMardoko..

Mardo ne use bazar dia..

Jab jichahamaslakuchla

Jab jichahadhutkardia..

.. Tulatihaikahidinaromein,

Biktihaikahibazaromein…

NangiNachavijatihai,

Aiyyashokedarbaromein,

Yehwobeizzat chez haijo,

Bat jatihai, izzatdaromein.”

Woman gave birth to men, and these men used them and then threw them away.
They sold them for money in a bazar, this so called “abominable creature”, they
are distributed in the company of respectable gentlemen.They are weighted against
mere coins and are sold in markets like objects. They are made to dance naked in
front of rakes and their courts and these disreputable creatures are distributed to the
respectable men of society. This is not just a poets thinking, it does happen even in
the world today. Even women themselves consider these prostitutes as shameful,
vile beings.
 S.Haider6

In SaatLaakh, QausarBano, degrades the tawaif and says “Tum auratnahi,

auratkenaam per gali ho, Tum nachti ho tougharonkidewarenkanptihain,
Tumhareghungrukichankar se humareronekisadayenatihain.” Is it only the tawaif’s
fault if she is a tawaif? No its not, it’s the society’s and economy’s fault that a
woman has to choose this kind of profession to survive in this world. Woman
belonging to lower classes ends up being tawaif’s because they are not given any
other option. They have to earn money to live in the cruel society, they are not
considered for any other job but Prostitution. In Saadat Hassan Manto’sshortstory,
“Licence”, a widow of a rickshaw driver used to drive her husband’s rickshaw, and
men would look at her with disgust, and then the license committee took back her
license for driving the tonga, when she asked what should she do now, one officer
told her “jao bazar meinjakrbetho… wahanzyadakamaihai.” In
lagaachunarimeindaag, Vibha goes to Mumbai, to look for work, she is asked to
spend the night with the employer in order to get a job.

A courtesan is a normal girl like anyone else, the only difference is, the
circumstances madeher choose this profession and sometimes she is forced into it
by someone. Like in Saadat Hassan Manto’s Kali Shalwar, a man forces his love
to become a prostitute in order to get money for food and shelter. Another
prostitute who falls in this man’s debt do whatever this man asks her to because
she owes him for providing clients to her and in turn money, or she would’ve died
of extreme hunger and starvation.
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In laagachunarimeindaag, Vibhavari (Rani Mukherjee), tells Abhishek that she is

not some event planner, rather, she is an escort, “Banaras kitawaifonkaek
sophisticated roop.” And further adds, “ Mainkisimajburikiduhainahidungi,
kamaikajozaryamujhemila, mainedonohathon se dabochlia.” This explains that
even though she was put in this profession by the society, she is not blaming
anyone because she knows that those who care and love her won’t ask for
explanation and those who asks for explanation, never really loved or cared for her.

The society is of opinion that life of these courtesans, is extremely easy and they
enjoy it to its fullest. That could not be more wrong. Anjuman (1955) compares the
place where she lives in to a graveyard metaphorically, when bhabhi comes to ask
Anjuman to release her brother in law from her clutches.
“logtoukabropephoolcharhatayhain, apqabristan se phoolkhareedneayihain.” Why
would anyone call the place they live in a graveyard? Because Anjuman sees it like
that, she is like a caged bird in it which cannot fly or do anything without the
permission of its owner. Even if she helps someone, she is still hated for being who
she is. Nawab used to come to Anjuman to spend some time with her, and used to
enjoy her company and praise her but when she stopped his advances, he insulted
her and called her names and immoral. Contrary to popular belief, courtesans or
prostitutes are not immoral. In Saat Lakh, when QausarBano’s cousin tried bribing
the tawaif to speak against Salim in court, she rejected the offer and said,
“Yahanjismzarurbiktehainlekinruhunkasaudanihota.” Furthermore, UmraoJaan
(2006) who was kidnapped and sold to KhanumJaan’skotha by Dilawar Khan
forgives Dilawar Khan for whatever he did to her at the end and even gives him
some money when she sees him in a bad state, starving and begging like a lunatic.
 S.Haider8

Umrao (1972) tells a client how nawab and noblemen used to send their kids to
learn manners and music and dance from Tawaif’s. That’s how high moral values
and manners of courtesan are.

The tragedy of a courtesan’s life cannot be described in mere words, even her own
families rejects her or stops her from coming back home even though they know
how much their daughter or sister has suffered. In UmraoJaan (2002), when
Amiran goes to meet her family she is thrown out of the house because she is a
tawaif, No one thought about that little girl who got kidnapped and sold to the
brothel, no one think about the problems, struggles she faced, people she had to
meet, those lustful eyes and men having disgusting thoughts about her.In
laagachunarimeindaag (2007), Vibha’s (escort) mother stops her from returning
home at her sister’s wedding, it was because they didn’t have enough money to
marry her sister off but it was also because she was an escort. No one supports her
in what she does, heck, Vibha even pays her cousin not to speak about her
profession in the neighborhood or else her family’s name will get spoiled.A
courtesan loses everything after choosing this profession, her family, her respect,
everything, what remains is the innocence, her dreams of someday getting freed
from the clutches of this society. When Vibha goes to meet a retired courtesan,
ApaJaan (HemaMalini), looks into her eyes and says that her innocence is still
intact, even though many have tried to take it away. This statement supports the
quote that “eyes are the windows to one’s soul”, if they are pure and innocent then
the soul is yet to be tainted black.
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Some girl’s like in Saadat Hassan Manto’s “hatak” get themselves so much
involved in their profession that it is extremely difficult for them to get out of it.
Saugandhi in Hatak,gets rejected by a client of hers who was supposedly a
“gentlemen”. It was impossible for her to understand as to why would someone
reject her? Because, as she was told by her lover, these men could go to any female
and would be able to get themselves satisfied than why not her? Furthermore, she
was blinded by her love and need for this man, who was an extortionist and used to
not only exploit her by gaining physical favors but used to take money she had
earned from her as well. It is a saying, that a courtesan usually doesn’t feel any
emotion but once she does, it is impossible to take her out from it. That’s why
Chandramukhi became a devdasi, even after getting rejected by Devdas (2002),
though Devdas knew how different she was from Paro (1955) but because he was
in love with Paro, and because she was a courtesan, he kept a blind eye over
chandramukhi’s qualities.

A tawaif always accepts her fate and who she is even if she dreams about having a
free life, she still knows that she can’t have that. Even if she leaves everything, she
would still be degraded in society, she would not be able to have a place she could
call home or people she could call family. Her kotha becomes her home, her pimp
becomes her mother/father and other tawaif’sbecomes her family.
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Society calls these women, as vile, disgusting beings. Even those who visit these
courtesans, call them bad, abominable creatures. Which is ironic considering these
men are the ones who made them to be like this in the first place. They actually
visit them on regular basis yet they call them names. Not just South Asian society
is like that, even in 19th century, people of west were of the same opinion and some
still are. In Oscar Wilde’s poem, Harlot’s house, author compares these prostitutes
or “harlots” with skeletons and ghosts. Although he is entranced by the dancing
prostitutes and he is admitting it yet he is not liking it and calling these men and
these women as phantoms and puppets. He calls them robots who have no feelings
like a human, and then he compares them to the dead.

“Like wire pulled automatons,

Slim silhouetted skeletons…

…sometimes a clockwork puppet pressed,

A phantom lover to…

…Upon the steps like a living thing.

….“The dead are dancing with the dead.”

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Not only Oscar Wilde, some other famous artists and authors were also of the same
opinion. However there were artists who actually showed a different side of
women fidelity and prostitution through their paintings. Titian’s “Venus of
Urbino” seems to be a nude painting of a courtesan lying on a couch, however it
really isn’t, it is a painting of a wife instead. One can deduce that because of
certain details to it, like roses in her hand symbolizes love, dog is supposed to be a
symbol of fidelity. “Olympia” by Manet became the talk of town during its release.
That was not just because Eduard Manet painted a nude courtesan reclining on the
bed; rather it was because she was looking directly at the audience. People of that
time were of the opinion that women like her, that means a courtesan, should not
have the privilege of showing any sort of dominance over men and shouldn’t look
bold enough rather should remain submissive and weak. This woman had a face,
which was not very common those days, as courtesans did not have names during
those days; they were just called prostitutes or harlots who cater to the sexual
desires of males. Now Caravaggio’s Portrait of a courtesan is a little different, the
courtesan there is fully clothed and holding flowers in her hand, looking directly at
us. The only thing which makes the painting seem like it is really a portrait of a
courtesan is only its name and nothing else. Caravaggio hasn’t shown the courtesan
as an object of sexual desire, rather something utterly different; this woman has
innocence in her eyes, which contradicts to popular beliefs of a courtesan’s
character. However Picasso in his Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, used cubism to
paint nude portrait of five different prostitutes. Out of which, two of them are
wearing masks. The prostitutes in masks represent African prostitutes. The only
weird thing about this painting is that the shapes of the bodies seem to be broad
and seem to have a lot of muscle unlike the perfect size zero figure of a courtesan.
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Eugene Delacroix, painted “women of Algiers”, which represent the private harem
of Algerian men. These women are all sitting in the harem, looking tired and doing
nothing in particular and they are clothed unlike some other paintings mentioned
above. They have empty eyes, as if there is no hope left inside them. This shows,
that even though these women seem to be perfectly alright from outside, they still
are like caged birds and cannot end their suffering. Whereas, all the above
mentioned paintings and painters, tried showing a different side of prostitution in a
subtle way, painters like Henri de Taulouse Lautrec and IqbalHussain shows the
stark realities of the life of courtesans. Lautrec’s In the Salon at Rue des Moulins-
1894 shows prostitutes in the brothel waiting for their clients to show up under
strict eyes of their Pimp or as they were called “Madame” in those times. Now
what’s different here are the tired, slouching bodies of these girls, their expressions
show how tired they are. Their plump figures are obvious under their clothes, they
are not the size zero figured prostitutes, rather, girls with average looking faces
beneath lots of makeup. They are under strict supervision of the head of the
brothel. Which explains how in their free time, prostitutes were never really free,
they were always observed by one person or the other.Whereas, Rue des Moulins-
medical examination, which shows two prostitutes getting ready to have a physical
medical examination shows how prostitutes during those times were examined
because syphilis as a disease was discovered. Even though it seems to be very
considerate of the government to examine prostitutes in order to stop the disease
from spreading, the way in which they were examined was horrifying. They were
made to stand nude, in order to be examined for this disease, that too in public. So
what if they are prostitutes? They are women and human beings before that.
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IqbalHussain, a painter from Lahore, is called a controversial artist because of him

showing a different side of prostitutes and prostitution to the world. He shows how
men or the world see prostitutes as in his painting Hudood Ordinance, which is
highly explicit to even be discussed. It represents the “Hadh” in which according to
men these women should be. The name given to the painting can be said to be a
mockery for the actual hudood ordinance law which hardly has any rights for
normal women let alone prostitutes. Another painting of IqbalHussain called,
“Mirror” has a women looking in the mirror. We cannot see her actual face but the
one that is reflected in the glass. This image is of a realistic female with stout
physique and empty eyes. This has a very metaphorical explanation to it, these
Women see themselves as a mere glass which if broken cannot be put together
again. Their lives are like those shard pieces of broken glass. IqbalHussain’s
“family” show a number of female prostitutes standing together as a family, as
mentioned previously that prostitutes make families of their own, it’s the
samething shown here. “Thana” is one painting which shows women being
dominated by men of uniform, “Taking it easy” is like lautrecs “In the salon at Rue
de Moulin” where they are having their free time. The only difference is they are
not being supervised here.
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Women as a prostitute face several different pains and difficulties in life which one
might find amazing and sometimes impossible. In Manto’sSauKaindalPavarka
bulb, a perfect description of a worn out prostitute has been given. She was a mess,
she was ruined completely from head to toe, her eyes were swollen, deprived of
sleep, her face was also badly bruised like a building which is about to fall. That
woman was extremely frustrated, because she was sleep deprived. She begged,
requested, did everything she can to persuade her pimp to let her sleep but he
didn’t, he made her go and cater to her client. One cannot explain how frustrated
and tired she was with this life that she killed her pimp in order to just get a few
hours of sleep. Yes, she killed, murdered her pimp! If she wouldn’t have done this,
her pimp would’ve probably done worse than he already has to her. If someone
asks whats worse that could’ve happened, she could’ve been forced or rape. Like
Umrao (2002) was when she rejected her best friend GauharMirza’s advances
towards her. Or worst? Died like Laila, a mere teenager, from Claudine le
Tourneur d’slon’s “HiraMandi” just because she laughed at one client of hers.

The French author, Claudine le Tourneur D’slon, although has written

“HiraMandi” as a fiction but it is also a reflection of real life of Lahore, after the
partition of 1947. “HiraMandi”- diamond market, also known as “ShahiMohalla”
was a place or neighbourhood belonging to prostitutes. Claudine reflected a part of
IqbalHussain the painter’s life, in that book of hers. IqbalHussain was a son of a
prostitute. He came from the household which took pride in birthing women. The
book gives account of how those streets which used to be so full of life became
silent.
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The book tells us about the “ring opening ceremony” as called by the women of
HiraMandi. It is a ceremony in which the nose ring, a symbol of virginity, is
removed in evening by a man who offers most money for it, in order to mark a
female courtesan’s debut in society. This tradition reminds me of the debutant ball
that used to be held in London and girls aged fifteen and above used to participate
in those balls as to recognize them being of marriageable age. The last dance’s
opportunity would be given to the most eligible bachelor of the Ton. TheLast
dance was considered to be most intimate of them all and is usually a waltz. So
these traditions, these thinking, these cultures are not just created by South Asian
society rather they had been there since the inception of the patriarchal society.
Patriarchal society is a male dominated society in simpler words.

Now as cinema of today reflects what and how society is in its realistic yet
commercial form, there has been a decline in the movies showing prostitutes as a
major character. They are still there but are comparatively less and due to this, the
roles of women in movies are created in such a way that they somehow end up in a
brothel/village or anywhere out of the blue and start dancing and singing those
horrible item songs which are called as “mujra’s” of today. However, mujra is
completely different than these item songs, in past South Asian films,Mujra’s were
performed in order to express the feelings of courtesan’s. Courtesan’s yearning for
their love. Now these item songs have close to no relation with the plot of the film,
and are added just for the sake of adding them for entertainment and to incite
audience particularly male to watch the films with interest.
 S.Haider16

These mujra’s of today which shows women in short dresses dancing like maniacs
have further added fuel to the typical thinking of male chauvinist that a woman,
especially a prostitute is nothing but an object of sexual desires. But what they
failed to understand is even though this whole concept of prostitution was created
by patriarchal society, the woman who they call as courtesans or prostitutes live in
a matriarchal structure and even men follow it blindly when they enter those
premises.
 S.Haider17

List of References:
 Arts :

1. Caravaggio: “Portrait of a courtesan”

2. Eduard Manet: “Olympia”

3. Titian: “Venus of Urbino”

4. Eugene Delacroix: “Women of Algiers”

5. Picasso: “Demoiselles d’Avignon

6. IqbalHussain:

o Family

o Mirror-1

o Hudood Ordinance

o Taking it easy

7. Henri de Toulouse Lautrec: (Comparison with IqbalHussain paintings)

o Salon at Rue des Moulins-1894

o Rue des Moulins- The medical Inspection- 1894

 Poetry/Songs:

1. Oscar Wilde: The Harlots House (1881)

2. SahirLudhianvi: Aurat ne JanamDiyaMardoko… (1958)

 South Asian Literature:

1. Kali Shalwar- Manto
2. Hatak- Manto
3. Licence- Manto
4. Saukaindalpavarka bulb- Manto

 Movies:
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1. Anjuman (1970)
2. Saat Lakh (1957)
3. UmraoJaan (1972 –Pak and 2006- Ind)
4. LaagaChunarimeinDaag- (2008)
5. Devdas (1955) and (2002)