The read
It runs a compact 1h 14m.
Synopsis
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.
Ratings
IMDb6.4/10
6 audience votes
Key crew
- Ismail MerchantDirector
- Ismail MerchantWriter
- James IvoryWriter
- Ruth Prawer JhabvalaWriter
Cast
- Saeed JaffreyCast
- Kareem SamarCast
- Zohra SehgalHerself