https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Nalini_JameelaNalini Jameela - Revision history2026-08-18T11:30:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nalini_Jameela&diff=299136&oldid=prev>Mel2022: /* Autobiography of a Sex Worker */Typo fixed2022-01-14T00:32:00Z<p><span class="autocomment">Autobiography of a Sex Worker: </span>Typo fixed</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian writer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = <!-- use common name/article title --><br />
| image = NaliniJameela.jpg<br />
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --><br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --><br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|08|18}} <br />
| birth_place = [[Kallur, Thrissur|Kallur village]], [[Thrissur]], [[India]]<br />
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --><br />
| death_place = <br />
| nationality = Indian<br />
| other_names = <br />
| occupation = [[sex worker]]<br>[[Sex work]] activist<br>Author<br />
| years_active = <br />
| known_for = <br />
| notable_works = Autobiography of a Sex Worker (2005)<br>Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker (2018)<br />
| awards = [[Kerala State Film Awards|Kerala State Film Special Jury Award]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Nalini Jameela''' (born 18 August 1954) is an Indian best selling author,<ref name="chinadaily">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-12/20/content_504790.htm|title=Indian prostitute mum sparks storm with book|date=2005-12-20|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> [[sex worker]] activist and former [[prostitute]] from [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]]. She is the author of the books ''The Autobiography of a Sex-worker'' (2005) and ''Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker'' (2018). She is the coordinator of the ''Sex Workers Forum of Kerala'' (SWFK)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main13.asp?filename=hub073005the_life_of.asp|title=The life of the Silenced|last=Ittyipe|first=Minu S.|date=2005-07-30|publisher=[[Tehelka]]|accessdate=23 October 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130203204951/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main13.asp?filename=hub073005the_life_of.asp|archivedate=3 February 2013}}</ref> and is a member of the five [[NGO|non-governmental organisations]] (NGO).<ref name="actress" /> She received Special Jury mention at the [[51st Kerala State Film Awards]] for costume design for her work in the film, [[Bharathapuzha (film)|Bharathapuzha]].<ref name="51st Kerala State Film Awards: The full winners list">{{Cite news |date=2021-10-17 |title=51st Kerala State Film Awards: The full winners list |language=en |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/51st-kerala-state-film-awards-winners-list-7574805/ |access-date=2021-10-25}}</ref><ref name="നല്ലനടപ്പുകാരി ചമയാനില്ല; എന്റെ ജീവിതം ആരെയും ബോധിപ്പിക്കാനുമല്ല: നളിനി ജമീല">{{Cite web |title=നല്ലനടപ്പുകാരി ചമയാനില്ല; എന്റെ ജീവിതം ആരെയും ബോധിപ്പിക്കാനുമല്ല: നളിനി ജമീല |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2021/10/25/exclusive-chat-with-nalini-jameela-state-award-winner.html |access-date=2021-10-25 |website=ManoramaOnline |language=ml}}</ref><br />
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==Biography==<br />
Nalini Jameela was born on 18 August 1954 in [[Kallur, Thrissur|Kallur village]], [[Thrissur]], India. She worked in the fields planting and harvesting crops<ref name="Scroll.in">{{cite web |last1=Jameela |first1=Nalini |title=In a new book, Nalini Jameela breaks taboos and writes about her romantic encounters as a sex worker |url=https://scroll.in/article/878956/in-a-new-book-nalini-jameela-breaks-taboos-and-writes-about-her-romantic-encounters-as-a-sex-worker |website=Scroll.in |accessdate=10 March 2019 |date=16 May 2018}}</ref> until her husband died of [[cancer]] when she was aged 24.<ref name="scmp">{{Cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/509522/indian-prostitute-reveals-all-gripping-autobiography|title=Indian prostitute reveals all in gripping autobiography|date=25 July 2005|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en}}</ref> This left her with no means of supporting her two young children.<ref name="Tehelka">{{cite web |last1=Ittyipe |first1=Minu |title=The life of the Silenced |url=http://tehelka.com/story_main13.asp?filename=hub073005the_life_of.asp |website=Tehelka - The People's Paper |accessdate=10 March 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314112521/http://tehelka.com/story_main13.asp?filename=hub073005the_life_of.asp |archivedate=14 March 2012 |date=14 March 2012}}</ref> A prostitute<ref name="scmp" /> named Rosechechi introduced her to [[prostitution]]. Rosechechi arranged her first [[Client (prostitution)|client]], a senior police officer, and she met him in a guesthouse in Trissur that was frequented by politicians. When leaving the guesthouse in the morning she was arrested by the police and beaten.<ref name="Tehelka" /><br />
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She had left school after the 3rd grade when she was about seven.<ref name="chinadaily" /> In the 1990s she furthered her education at the Kallur Government School, eventually reaching the 12th grade.<ref name="puzha" /><br />
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In 2001 she became coordinator of the ''Sex Workers Forum of Kerala'' (SWFK),<ref name="puzha">{{cite web |title=books.puzha.com - Author Details |url=http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/author-detail.cgi?code=2041 |website=www.puzha.com |accessdate=10 March 2019 |archive-date=22 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422120856/http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/author-detail.cgi?code=2041 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Under her leadership the SWFK held protest marches to draw attention to the plight of [[Street prostitution|street-based]] sex workers.<ref name="Firstpost">{{cite web |last1=Mitra |first1=Ipshita |title=Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker: Nalini Jameela returns, with eight new stories from her past |url=https://www.firstpost.com/living/romantic-encounters-of-a-sex-worker-nalini-jameela-returns-with-eight-new-stories-from-her-past-4433545.html |website=Firstpost |accessdate=10 March 2019 |date=18 April 2018}}</ref><br />
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Jameela is a member of the five non-governmental organisations (NGO).<ref name="actress">{{cite web |title=നളിനി ജമീലയുടെ ആത്മകഥ അഭ്രപാളികളില് |trans-title=Nalini Jameela's autobiography |url=https://malayalam.boldsky.com/insync/2006/102606jameela-now-an-actress.html |website=malayalam.boldsky.com |accessdate=10 March 2019 |language=ml |date=26 October 2006}}</ref> At the fourth meeting of the AIDS Counselling Program in [[Bangalore]], she called on the government not just to distribute [[condoms]], but to provide an education to sex workers and their children.<ref name="malayalam.webdunia" /><br />
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==Works==<br />
===Autobiography of a Sex Worker===<br />
In 2005 Jameela wrote the autobiographical book ''Oru Lyngikathozhilaliyude Atmakatha''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jameela |first1=Nalini |title=Oru Lymgikathozhilaliyude Atmakatha |date=2010 |publisher=D C Books |isbn=9788126438105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aemvDQAAQBAJ&q=nalini+jameela |language=ml |orig-year= 2005}}</ref> (Autobiography of a Sex Worker) with the aid of sex work activist I. Gopinath.<ref name="chinadaily" /> The book sold 13,000 copies, ran to six editions within 100 days of publication.<ref name="The Indian Express">{{cite web |last1=Pillai |first1=Pooja |title=How to Talk about Sex Without Offending People |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/how-to-talk-about-sex-without-offending-people-5110176/ |website=The Indian Express |accessdate=10 March 2019 |language=en-IN |date=25 March 2018}}</ref> Originally written in [[Malayalam]], the book was translated to English in 2007 by [[J. Devika]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/world/asia/07iht-letter.html|title=Giving a Voice to the Voiceless in India|journal=The New York Times|last=Roy|first=Nilanjana S.|date=2010-07-06|accessdate=14 June 2011}}</ref> and into French the following year by Sophie Bastide-Foltz.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jameela |first1=Nalini |title=Autobiographie d'une travailleuse du sexe |date=2008 |publisher=Actes Sud |isbn=9782742775163 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uCJBOAAACAAJ&q=nalini+jameela |language=fr |translator-first1=Sophie |translator-last1=Bastide-Foltz}}</ref> The book created massive movements in society,<ref name="malayalam.webdunia">{{cite web |title= ഞങ്ങള്ക്ക് കോണ്ടം മാത്രം പോര: നളിനി ജമീല |trans-title=Don't just give us condoms, give us life: Nalini |url=http://malayalam.webdunia.com/article/kerala-news-in-malayalam/%E0%B4%9E%E0%B4%99%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%99%E0%B4%B3%E0%B5%8D%E2%80%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D-%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8B%E0%B4%A3%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%9F%E0%B4%82-%E0%B4%AE%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B0%E0%B4%82-%E0%B4%AA%E0%B5%8B%E0%B4%B0-%E0%B4%A8%E0%B4%B3%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%A8%E0%B4%BF-%E0%B4%9C%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%80%E0%B4%B2-111061300008_1.htm |website=malayalam.webdunia.com |accessdate=10 March 2019|language=ml}}</ref> and led to many debates and controversies in Kerala.<ref name="actress" /> The book was condemned by [[feminists]], who claimed it glorified sex work, and by conservatives who thought the subject should not be publicised.<ref name="chinadaily" /><br />
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===Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker===<br />
In 2018 Jameela's second book ''Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sex-worker-nalini-jameela-pens-her-second-book/1/143701.html|title='Proud' sex worker Nalini Jameela pens her second book|last=Nair|first=Preetha S.|date=2011-07-05|publisher=[[India Today]]|accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref> was published. The book was translated into English by Reshma Bharadwaj,<ref name="Scroll.in" /> and also translated into [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]].<ref name="actress" /> The book includes eight stories from the 1970s to the 2000s,<ref name="Firstpost" /> telling of the relationships she developed with her clients.<ref name="The Indian Express" /><br />
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==Documentary==<br />
Sanjeev Sivan, younger brother of noted film director [[Santosh Sivan]], made a 28-minute documentary film, ''Sex, Lies and a Book'', in 2013 about Jameela's life. The documentary was a joint venture of the [[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP) and the [[Public Service Broadcasting Trust]]. Jameela appeared in the film.<ref name="actress" /><br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Prostitution in India]]<br />
* [[Sex workers' rights]]<br />
* [[Women in India]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jameela, Nalini}}<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Women writers from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Sex worker activists in India]]<br />
[[Category:Female sex workers]]<br />
[[Category:Activists from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women activists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]<br />
[[Category:Writers from Thrissur]]<br />
[[Category:Women autobiographers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women non-fiction writers]]<br />
[[Category:1954 births]]<br />
[[Category:Indian social sciences writers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian non-fiction writers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian female prostitutes]]</div>>Mel2022