A courtesan's life has been a bone of contention between historians and movie-makers. The Indian Cinema has primarily portrayed them as a wealthy, privileged lot, with historians often rejecting their glorified demeanour and emphasising the need to show a more realistic narrative. To an extent, the 1972 movie Pakeezah, starring Meena Kumari or Rekha's Umrao Jaon, set the benchmark for inching closest to the life of a tawaif. However, the debate over the glitz of a courtesan's on-screen life and her reality has been simmering for a while now.

　　Its latest example is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi, which got mixed reactions. Regardless of its opulent appeal, royal panache and soothing songs, the movie drew flak for its alleged misrepresentation of a nautch girl's life. Critics pointed out how the actual Heera Mandi in Pakistan's Lahore was a cramped ghetto where these women lived relatively poor lives.

　　A lot of struggle, pain, and trauma went behind the painted walls of their courts. Not all of them had the luxury of owning the most expensive jewels or wearing handcrafted sarees. The likes of renowned courtesans such as Gauhar Jaan or Begum Akhtar make for an exception, who made their marks as esteemed singers and dancers, but the fate of these women was usually not as colourful as painted on the big screen.

　　If one delves deeper into one's life, more tales can be told about them. Yet, our understanding has been confined to the expansive dance halls, candle-lit chandeliers, or the Gaj-Gamini walk, shown in Bhansali's Heeramandi.

　　However, a recently released book, "Ganika," attempts to break away from this notion and take us through the lesser-known lives of tawaifs. A glimpse into the journey of courtesans of the 19th and 20th centuries, the book is a visual representation of the journey of Indian tawaifs.

　　Celebrated Artists, Complex Lives

　　Suggesting the high social standing of women who performed in public, a ganika, also called a tawaif, was an aced dancer and singer who experienced both the height of fame and low social stigma. Many Indian classical music renditions have been introduced by these multi-talented women who were multi-lingual, intelligent and trend-setters, as mentioned in the book.

　　"This book covers different aspects of these women, tracing the trajectory from the tradition of Devdasi to their depiction in post-independence Hindi Cinema," said book curator Seema Bhalla.

　　Experts believe that the understanding of a courtesan's life is finite, misrepresented and overlooks their bleak worlds. For author Jatindra Mishra, the "Lucknow school of thought" has inspired the Indian movie screens, with makers showing a larger-than-life portrayal of these tawaifs. He agreed that their life has many dimensions, including a sound financial and social standing, but reiterated the worrisome 'courtesan mystery.'

　　From Devadasis To Baijis

　　"Their socio-cultural status varied from region to region. From being known as Devadasis in the South to Baijis in Bengal and Naikins in Goa, these professional singers and dancers have had varied statures. Seeing them from one lens would be an injustice to their multi-faceted lives," said Mishra.

　　Edited by Seema Bhalla and incorporating collections and expertise of contributors like Mishra, Ira Bhaskar, Richard Allen, Shweta Sachdeva Jha, Swarnamalya Ganesh, A.K. Das, Sumant Batra and Siddhartha Tagore, "Ganika" is the imagery of courtesan culture, while also drawing parallels with their delineation in Europe through a cluster of exclusive photographs and paintings.

　　The Information

　　Publisher: Art & Deal

　　Pages: 162

　　Price: INR 3,000 (Hardcover)

　　Get it at amazon.in