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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Courtesans of Bombay
| image = CourtesansPoster.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = American release poster
| director = [[Ismail Merchant]]
| producer = Ismail Merchant
| writer = Ismail Merchant [[James Ivory]] [[Ruth Prawer Jhabvala]]
| narrator =
| starring = Kareem Samar [[Saeed Jaffrey]] [[Zohra Sehgal]]
| music =
| cinematography = [[Vishnu Mathur]]
| editing = [[Amit Bose]] Rita Stern
| studio = [[Merchant Ivory Productions]]
| distributor = [[Channel 4|Channel Four Television Corporation]] (UK) [[New Yorker Films]] (US)
| released = {{Film date|1983|01| |UK|1986|03|19|U.S.|df=y}}
| runtime = 73 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''The Courtesans of Bombay''''' is a 1983 British [[docudrama]] directed by [[Ismail Merchant]]. A collaboration by Merchant, [[James Ivory]], and [[Ruth Prawer Jhabvala]]. The film focuses on a [[Mumbai|Bombay]] [[Compound (enclosure)|compound]] known as Pavan Pool, where women aspiring to work in the entertainment industry dance for donations from a male audience by day and, it is broadly suggested although never specifically stated, work as [[prostitution|prostitutes]] by night. It was broadcast by [[Channel 4]] in the UK in January 1983 and went into limited theatrical release in the United States on 19 March 1986.

Merchant was aware of the courtesans at an early age "from the visits from them we used to have during weddings at home, celebrations of childbirth, and other festivities. They provided the entertainment of singing and dancing, and I used to watch them." His first visit to Pavan Pool at the age of sixteen left him with a vivid memory that inspired him to record the activities and experiences of the [[courtesan]]s on film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merchantivory.com/courtesians.html|title=Merchant Ivory Productions|website=www.merchantivory.com}}</ref>

==Plot==
Kareem Samar, [[Saeed Jaffrey]], and [[Zohra Sehgal]] are professional actors who interact with actual inhabitants of the area. Samar portrays a rent collector representing a landlord who was a friend of Merchant and approved the project.<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0DEED61431F93AA25750C0A960948260|title=THE SCREEN: 'COURTESANS OF BOMBAY'|last=|first=|date=|website=movies.nytimes.com|access-date=}}</ref> Jaffrey's role is that of an actor whose infatuation with one of the dancers becomes an obsession, and Segal is a retired courtesan who recalls her earlier life when her aunt arranged for her care by a wealthy benefactor.

==Critical reception==
Walter Goodman of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the film "a fascinating 73 minutes of [[sociology]], [[Human interest story|human interest]] and exotic entertainment" and added, "As we become accustomed to the unfamiliar music, it's easy to get caught up in the show and forget the exploitation. The ample-hipped dancers move with abounding confidence in their own sexuality, and whether their somewhat dissolute-looking all-male audience is stirred by their performances or by the prospects for closer contact later does not much matter."<ref name=NYTimes />

In his review of the DVD release for the website [[DVD Talk]], [[Glenn Erickson]] observed, "With its music and dance performances ''The Courtesans of Bombay'' would be a stunning documentary if it distinguished between authentic material and staged content. Even though there may literally be no difference, we have to trust the filmmakers as to the accuracy employed. The Merchant-Ivory team has a reputation beyond reproach, but doubts are raised by obvious staged content such as two courtesans sneaking messages to a shared boyfriend. The film lists a [[costume design]]er, a credit we don't expect to see on a documentary."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1586bomb.html|title=DVD Savant Review: The Courtesans of Bombay|website=www.dvdtalk.com}}</ref>

==DVD release==
On 19 April 2005, Home Vision Entertainment released the 2-DVD set ''The Merchant Ivory Collection'', which includes this film and the 1994 [[short film]] ''[[The Street Musicians of Bombay]]'', in Region 1. The film is in [[Pan and scan|fullscreen]] format with an audio track and subtitles in English. It is also part of the [[List of Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray releases#Merchant Ivory Collection|Merchant Ivory Collection]] of [[Criterion Collection]] DVD and Blu-ray releases.

==See also==
* [[Dance bar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{imdb title|0163591}}

{{Merchant Ivory Productions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Courtesans of Bombay, The}}
[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1983 drama films]]
[[Category:British documentary films]]
[[Category:British drama films]]
[[Category:British films]]
[[Category:Films about women in India]]
[[Category:Films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ismail Merchant]]
[[Category:Films set in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Merchant Ivory Productions films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala]]
[[Category:Documentary films about India]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by James Ivory]]

The Courtesans of Bombay - Revision history

>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: recategorize