The Courtesans of Bombay

In the Mumbai, India, tenement community of Pavanpul, young female courtesans sing, dance and perform sexual favors for male clientele. Directors James Ivory and Ismail Merchant blend documentary footage and dramatic reenactments in their exploration of this seamy underworld, the flip side of the Bollywood film industry, where aspiring actors and dancers -- some even sold into prostitution by their own families -- end up, with their innocence lost and their hopes for movie stardom shattered.

Release Date

January 1, 1983

Runtime

74 min

Genres

Documentary

Directed by

Ismail Merchant, Michael Fields

Written by

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, James Ivory, Ismail Merchant

Language

English