In Search Of A Lost Erotic Song
FOR ANYONE
who has grown up in India on a diet comprising regular doses of Hindi films —
which is practically the entire population — the term tawaif is almost a taboo,
a stigma, denoting a woman who is not in the mainstream of society. Delhi based
independent documentary filmmaker Saba Dewan too must have had certain notions
about a tawaif. But given her field of work — making films focused on gender,
sexuality and culture — these ideas were set to be catalysed with reality sooner
than later.
With her two- hour long documentary film, The Other Song , Dewan’s
notions about a tawaif not just metamorphosed into a more real entity but were “
jolted,” as says the director. “ All the stereotypes that I may have had in my
sub- conscience were broken in the course of making this film,” says the 46-
year- old filmmaker.
The Other Song (2009) recreates the enigmatic figure of a tawaif, a
courtesan, her lifestyle and culture, and unravels the sociopolitical
transformations of the late 19th century- early 20th century that changed the
status of a tawaif from a cultured entertainer sought after by the high society
to a stigma in present times. “A tawaif has always elicited strong emotions —
right from a victim to a demonic housebreaker, almost a non- woman,” says Dewan.
-- Archana
By Archana
FOR ANYONE who
has grown up in India on a diet comprising regular doses of Hindi films — which
is practically the entire population — the term tawaif is almost a taboo, a
stigma, denoting a woman who is not in the mainstream of society. Delhi based
independent documentary filmmaker Saba Dewan too must have had certain notions
about a tawaif. But given her field of work — making films focused on gender,
sexuality and culture — these ideas were set to be catalysed with reality sooner
than later.
With her two- hour long documentary film, The Other Song , Dewan’s
notions about a tawaif not just metamorphosed into a more real entity but were “
jolted,” as says the director. “ All the stereotypes that I may have had in my
sub- conscience were broken in the course of making this film,” says the 46-
year- old filmmaker.
The Other Song (2009) recreates the enigmatic figure of a tawaif, a
courtesan, her lifestyle and culture, and unravels the sociopolitical
transformations of the late 19th century- early 20th century that changed the
status of a tawaif from a cultured entertainer sought after by the high society
to a stigma in present times. “A tawaif has always elicited strong emotions —
right from a victim to a demonic housebreaker, almost a non- woman,” says
Dewan.
The title of the film refers to a thumri sung by the well- known
singer of Benaras, Rasoolan Bai, which went as — Lagat jobanwa ma chot, phool
gendwa na maar ( My breasts are wounded, don’t throw flowers at me). This 1935
recording was soon lost, never to be repeated, while its variation — Lagat
karejwa ma chot, phool gendwa na maar ( My heart is wounded, don’t throw flowers
at me) — became more famous, etched strongly in public memory and even getting
spoofed by Bollywood in the voice of the inimitable Manna
Dey.
“ I stumbled upon the erotic version of the song by chance, while on
one of the many field trips that I undertook to Benaras, researching on the
film. Someone whom I was talking to casually mentioned that some songs were
lost, some were made respectable and so on. That got me intrigued and I stepped
up my research,” shares the filmmaker.
While the film takes off from this song by Rasoolan Bai, it is more
than just her story. It is about the life stories of women who hailed from
difficult backgrounds and made something of their lives. “They were highly
accomplished women even though they were not educated in the conventional
system. They had to negotiate a lot in life and were tough survivors. They were
women of substance,” says Dewan with passion.
Third in the trilogy of films on stigmatised women performers, the
film was completed last year and won the Mecenat prize for Best Documentary at
the Pusan International Film Festival the same year; of course, it has collected
several other awards too. The other two films in the trilogy are Delhi- Mumbai-
Delhi (2006, on bar dancers) and Naach ( 2008, on women who dance in rural
fairs).
Given the nature of the subject, it took Dewan eight years to
complete The Other Song , since the time she began researching on the subject. “
It took so long that I actually hoped for a closure,” says this filmmaker who
did her masters in Film and TV Production from the Mass Communication Research
Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, in 1987.
“With the immense amount of material that I collected while working
on the film, I’m now doing a book on journeys with women performers,” she
informs.
Dewan’s journey with women performers has just begun; the film is
like a first glimpse, the book will be a detailed overview, and who knows,
something more may be waiting to sprout.
— The Other Song will be screened at the Auditorium, India
International Centre, on May 26, at 6.30 p. m.
Source: Mail Today
10:28 PM
Sultan Shahin
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