Reclaiming Cultural Narratives: Gendered Censorship and Representation in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi

Authors

  • Aarcha Suresh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53007/SJGC.2024.V9.I2.223

Keywords:

Tawaif culture, Tawaif trope, Indian Cinema, Gendered Censorship, Agency, Sexuality

Abstract

Tawaif, a term referring to courtesans and female entertainers who held significant sway in the cultural landscape of pre-colonial and colonial India, has left an indelible mark on the country’s artistic and intellectual traditions. The research explores the evolution of the tawaif in Indian cinema, focusing on their historical contributions to the culture and how colonialism and societal shifts marginalised them. Once esteemed as highly skilled artists who preserved Indian classical arts, tawaif were reduced to symbols of sexual deviance, losing their revered status. Through an analysis of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, a series set
in Lahore’s red-light district during the Indian freedom struggle, this paper interrogates how contemporary narratives, particularly in cinema, perpetuate or challenge patriarchal interpretations of the tawaif figure. Utilising frameworks of agency, chastity, cultural appropriation, sensuality, the male gaze, and stereotypes, the study critiques Bhansali’s depiction of tawaif as embodying a form of gendered censorship, reshaping their identities to fit modern fantasies. This paper aims to reclaim the silenced voices of tawaif by deconstructing these portrayals and offering a nuanced understanding of their sexuality, artistic
expression, and social influence. 

Downloads

Published

2025-01-30

How to Cite

Aarcha Suresh. “Reclaiming Cultural Narratives: Gendered Censorship and Representation in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi”. Samyukta: A Journal of Gender and Culture, vol. 9, no. 2, Jan. 2025, doi:10.53007/SJGC.2024.V9.I2.223.

Issue

Section

Articles