The Courtesans of Bombay poster

The Courtesans of Bombay

1983 · 74 min

Documentary

★ 5.5
not streaming

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.

Crew

  • Director Ismail Merchant
  • Writer Ismail Merchant
  • Writer James Ivory
  • Writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
  • Director of Photography Vishnu Mathur

Cast

Crew

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🔥 Hot takes

warming up the wall…

Intermission

GO DEEPER

Turn the obscurity dial up. There's a lot further down to go.

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