The Courtesans of Bombay

This Merchant-Ivory film is probably very hard to find. It is not available on VHS or DVD, and I have rarely seen it on cable. Just by chance I happened to notice that it was on IFC on a Sunday morning, so I decided to give it a view.

For the most part, this film is excruciatingly boring, moving along at a snail's pace. It has the feel of a documentary, but it also uses recognizable actors. However, they function primarily as narrators. The film provides an extensive portrait of the brothels of the red light district of Bombay. Apparently Indian men regard "courtesans" as sources of much more than sexual gratification, but rather view them much more as Japanese view geishas, that is, as entertainers. The women are seen singing, dancing, and playing board games with the men. Sexual activity is barely hinted at, and presumably it takes place after the entertainment ends. The film is also valuable is that it gives us a good view of the squalor of contemporary Bombay, something which has probably grown much worse in the 20 or so years since this film was made. If you have a fascination with India, try to catch Louis Malle's "Phantom India."

I enjoyed this film, i got it out on DVD. Its a Merchant Ivory film, there are quite a few, you will find them in the world cinema section of your DVD store.

It is basically a documentary on the old brothel area of Bombay called Pavan Pool. This place is a huge building that houses over a thousand people. The film starts off with the narrator, who is an actor playing the rent collector, he seems a little smarmy.

In Pavan Pool the family's that live there rejoice when there is a girl born as it means she will be able to make money by dancing and singing and courting. (It seems the men in PP do as little as possible and earn no money, unless they can play an instrument to accompany the women) The music is hypnotic and lively and the dancing is amazing.

The film moves along at a nice pace with various characters giving an interesting narration.

If you have an interest in India you should watch this, but keep in mind it was made way back in 1983..

An interesting tale of poverty and the age old desire of man to engage in the greatest sport of exploitation of the poor told in a narration style with actors and a real life cast of Bombay courtesans. It captures the utter desperation of these poor souls as they live in a compound better suited to demolition than a living space. The camera captures the myriad of lives and their existence in a world cynical of their existence.

The camera wonders the dark and depraved halls searching for the characters that tells the weary story. It is weaved into a collage of memories and visualizations, beautifully interrupted by the narrators discussing the everyday lives and the reason for visiting these establishments. Mystical eastern dancing and gyrations entice the men into squalid rooms where they spend their hard working money on an evening of pleasure, music, and a night of prostitution.

This film really brings the darker side of Bombay into the mainstream in a documentary style. Its heartbreaking to see a poor beautiful girl who dances magnificently under the tutelage of a dance guru, only to know the fate that one day awaits her in a seedy apartment. A must see!