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Sacrificing seductress rule tinseltown
The Bollywood courtesan gracefully steps back and sacrifices her love without a murmur, writes Kshama Rao.
Hindi movie heroines have secretly coveted the part of a celluloid courtesan because having to play one not only means you get swathed in elaborate costumes and look your ethereal best, but you also get to play the ultimate seductress, with a heart of gold. You could even win a National Award like Rekha did for Umrao Jaan.
Beautiful and voluptuous, the courtesan relies on her ada, nakhras, nazakat and tehzeeb, not to forget that little hint of cleavage, the stylish twirl of her zardosi-embroidered multi-layered kurta and the playful come-hither glances her eyes throw at her potential suitors.
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| Madhuri Dixit in a still from Devdas |
Often a child-woman, the quintessential Hindi film courtesan is also one who will love her man like no other woman (recall Rekha as Zohrabai in
Muqaddar Ka Sikander
) but who will also gracefully step back and sacrifice her love without a murmur (Madhuri Dixit’s Chandramukhi in
Devdas
). While she is always a graceful dancer, her demeanour also exudes the right amount of mystique.
The perpetual glint of sadness in her kohl-lined eyes, a tear that refuses to go away. With JP Dutta’s
Umrao Jaan
which released last week, which Aishwarya Rai added to the list of celebrated screen courtesans, we doff our hat to five classic Hindi film courtesans:
Madhubala in
Mughal-e-Azam
‘Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya’ will always remain the courtesan’s ultimate declaration of love. When the beautiful Madhubala as Anarkali cocked a snook at the imperious Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor), as she danced in the
Sheesh Mahal
, proclaiming her love for Salim (Dilip Kumar), the moment was etched forever in celluloid history. And the audience silently applauded the SalimAnarkali love story.
Meena Kumari in
Pakeezah
“Aapke paon dekhe, bahut khoobsurat hain, inhen zameen par mat rakhiye”. Raaj Kumar's paean of praise to Meena Kumari’s feet was just the tip of the iceberg. Her portrayal of Nargis/Sahibjaan in Kamal Amrohi’s
Pakeezah
will always be cherished.
The half-hearted smile, the eternal ly sorrowful eyes, the feminine grace, the perfectly coordinated play of arched eyebrows and the beautiful dance numbers – Inhin logon ne li na dupatta mera, Thare rahiyo – is the stuff classics are made of. It was not for nothing Meena Kumari earned the sobriquet of Tragedy Queen. Rekha in
Umrao Jaan
Muzaffar Ali's tribute to the wronged girl Amiran, who became Umrao, the courtesan of Lucknow, who most men desired and yearned for, is a classic that has stood the test of time.
It seemed like a role written for Rekha who infused Umrao with passion and pathos, love and longing, happiness and betrayal. When she sang In ankhon ki masti mein mastane hazaaron hain, time stood still. Rekha in Muqaddar Ka Sikander She's an actress who has played the courtesan and the
mujrewali
with the greatest élan.
Beautiful, sensuous, and all-woman, Rekha's Zohrabai, who comes alive every time Sikander (Amitabh Bachchan) visits her at the
kotha
, is still remembered for her selfless love and sacrifice. The graceful
lachak
of her waist and those smouldering eyes, not to forget the abandon she danced with – Rekha is the quintessential seductress. Salaam-e-ishq meri jaan zara kubul kar lo, tum humse pyaar karne ki zara si bhool kar lo – indeed!
Madhuri Dixit in
Devdas
as Chandramukhi, Madhuri stole the thunder from right under Aishwarya’s nose in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s
Devdas
. Graceful, dignified and absolute magic with
ghungroos
on, Madhuri’s courtesan with a heart of gold was a wonderful return to celluloid of a fine actress and dancer.
Hearts of gold Waheeda Rehman played a nautankiwali in the Raj Kapoor-starrer Teesri Kasam and a dancer in the dacoit movie Mujhe Jeene Do with Sunil Dutt In Ghungroo, Smita Patil danced to Tohfa kubul hai hume as Kesarbai, the kothewali who has to sacrifice her love for a prince (Shashi Kapoor).
Rati Agnihotri's performance as Sultana in Tawaif is considered one of her best performances. She was paired opposite Rishi Kapoor in this Muslim social. Hema Malini as Nafisa Khatun in Yudh. More recently, Rani Mukerjee as Heera in Mangal Pandey. Aishwarya Rai joins the roster as Umrao Jaan in JP Dutta’s latest release.
