A far-reaching medium, through which the image of the courtesan circulates in our present-day life in the diaspora is the medium of Bollywood films. We can encounter her image for example as a mujrawali, a woman performing “mujras,” (dances/songs of the tawaifs). The courtesan appears in a wide variety of Bollywood films, old ones and current ones, such as Devdas, Umrao Jan, Pakeeza or in a brief appearance in Bunty Aur Babli. Another interesting example of a courtesan appearing in a film is that of the famous song “Choli Ke Piche Kya Hai” in the film Khalnayak, where a policewoman takes on the image as a disguise (for a longer write up about this song please see Sangita Shresthova’s Bollynatyam blog).
Please look at one or more Bollywood song/dance sequences (of your choice, or from the films mentioned above). Please create a study that reflects the intersection between the Bollywood sequence and/or the courtesan depicted in a Bollywood song/dance sequence and your diasporic everyday life. If possible, create the study for video, and in the process pay particular attention the use of the camera. It is not necessary that you directly use elements of the song/dance sequence that inspired you.
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