The Courtesans of Bombay (1983)

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.

Released

1983-01-01

Genres

Documentary

Runtime

74 min

Status

Released

Directed / written by

Ismail Merchant

TMDB rating

5.5/10 from 6 votes