The Courtesans of Bombay / Street Musician of Bombay [The Merchant Ivory Collection]
by Richard Robbins, Ismail Merchant
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Kareem Samar, Richard Robbins, Saeed Jaffrey, Zohra SegalDirector: Ismail Merchant, Richard Robbins
Brand: Image Entertainment
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Hindi (Original Language); Punjabi (Original Language); Urdu (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Mono, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 125 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-04-19
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Home Vision Entertainment (Merchant Ivory)
Movie Reviews of The Courtesans of Bombay / Street Musician of Bombay [The Merchant Ivory Collection]
Movie Review: BOMBAY (MUMBAI) BEFORE AIDS
Summary: 4 Stars
My copy of "The Courtesans of Bombay" also included a short film - about 55 minutes - entitled "The Musicians of Bombay" and both were fascinating for those of us who have been to Bombay and India in general. They are both quite exquisitely written and directed and really catch the flavour and sights and smells of Bombay.
These films were made before the epidemic of AIDS and it is sad, especially in "The Courtesans of Bombay" to see these courtesans/prostitutes plying their trade unaware of the future horrors that will await them.
There is also an interesting section in "Courtesans" where eunuchs attend and entertain at a celebration of a new birth to an upper middle-class family and one of the more vociferous and outspoken of the ladies (?) explains how it is a "God-given" privilege to choose to become a eunuch and undergo that drastic and sometims deadly operation. "She" seems to protests too much but the whole group of them seem to be happy and appear to be somewhat affluent in their attire and gold jewellery.
"The Musicians of Bombay" is a welcome addition to this DVD and for students of Indian music - that is, street musicians - the variety of instruments and languages and vocal traditions is truly fascinating. It begins with a fantastic shot of the "Gateway to India" monumental monument as seen from an hotel room and this same monument to the British Raj was very effectively used in David Lean's "A Passage to India" when the new Vice-Roy arrives in all his splendour and arrogance.
In "Courtesans" it is good to see actors of the calibre of Saeed Jaffrey and Zohra Sehgal - who both appeared in "Passage to India" - the latter portraying Lady lilli Chatterjee - and Jaffrey's portrayal as a self-absorbed, alcoholic, family-neglecting lecher is very well-acted indeed.
If you are students of India and one of the most populous cities in the world, viewing "Courtesans" and "Musicians" will be an edifying experience.
TIMOTHY WINGATE Ottawa CANADA
Summary of The Courtesans of Bombay / Street Musician of Bombay [The Merchant Ivory Collection]
Intriguing, colorful, and revealing, The Courtesans of Bombay is Merchant Ivory?s docu-drama about Pavan Pool, the enclosed area where Bombay?s singing and dancing courtesans ply their trade. It presents a portrait of the unique location, both exotic and tawdry: crammed tenements housing thousands of men playing up to the camera as they seek out forbidden pleasures?and the courtesans themselves, who appear more as entertainers than sex-workers. Neither sensationalist nor prurient, the film is about a tradition with a special place in Indian society: the entertainment of paying customers?always men?by songstresses and dancers who perform in the classical Hindustani styles of the ancient "nautch" girls, India?s version of the Japanese geisha.Similar DVD Movies
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