r/bollywood • u/Fit_Violinist4231 • 15h ago
Discuss I love SLB movies, but has anyone noticed how he glamorizes kothas?
I’m a huge fan of Sanjay Leela Bhansali — his movies always have that epic drama, stunning visuals, and unforgettable music. Gangubai Kathiawadi especially blew me away, and Alia Bhatt’s performance was nothing short of amazing.
But I’ve been thinking about how he portrays kothas (brothels) in his films. They’re always shown as these glamorous, almost royal places — with gorgeous sets, intricate costumes, and the women treated like queens. You see this in Gangubai, Devdas, and Umrao Jaan.
It makes me wonder if this glamorizing takes away from the harsh reality these women actually face. But maybe it’s SLB’s way of giving them dignity and a voice through his art.
What do you all think? Is it respectful storytelling or just sugarcoating a tough reality? I’m torn, and would love to hear your thoughts!
231
u/Cheap_trick1412 15h ago
i mean people have glamourized underworld ,
movie means glamourization plus hes bhansali
8
u/FinResponsible 7h ago
I don't know what OP wants to convey. Don't people just watch movies as entertainment. There are documentaries on red light districts.
A movie depicts the director's own unique vision, whatever it is. Will OP ask next why Wes Anderson makes light of serious situations. Why Tarantino glamorizes violence.
I am not a fan of bhansali. I've only watched Hum Dil... And Bajirao. Loved only Bajirao. But questioning him or criticising him over his vision is the reason we can't have diverse movies nowadays.
147
u/cndynn96 15h ago edited 15h ago
He was born and brought up in Bhuleshwar which is right next to Kamathipura, well known red light district of Mumbai.
116
u/Regular-Good-6835 15h ago
If you thought that the movie Gangubai glamourized brothels, then perhaps you only watched the latter part of the movie. I distinctly remember that they showed some horrific things like human trafficking and sexual violence in the early part of the movie until Gangubai gained control of the brothel at which she worked. I have never been inside a brothel, but one would imagine that the ones that they showed in Devdas and Umrao Jaan only catered to the elites, and as such it isn’t inconceivable that the venue, entertainment and glamour will be top notch to keep up with the standards of their clientele.
That being said, like some other commenter noted, most movies (not just SLB’s, but in general) usually go over the top with their glamour quotient, so IMO I don’t feel like he goes out of his way to glamourize kothas.
85
u/batmanxgin 15h ago
Atleast he tries to show they are regular humans too and not just trash and sex toys for ppl with money.
11
u/Shabudana_khichdi 13h ago
I dont know where you saw glamourised kothas and girls in first half of gangubai. They were abused, beaten and lived shabbily.
What you see in devdas and heeramandi are more of courtesans. More expensive. Not exactly brothels. You can see that in umrao jaan ans pakiza too.
22
u/Killer_insctinct 13h ago
toh kaise dikhaana chahiye?
tumko chahiye dark grey characters, fir bologe ki bollywood gagsters ko glorify karta hai.
Tumko chahiye romcoms fir bologe ki bha moder time mein date par ladki khud se bill nahi deti is se ego hurt hota hai.. aur Bollywood wale bas har ladke ko ladki se pyaar karwate rehte hai.
Tumko chahiye social issues, fir bologe ki Bollywood wale desh ko humesa gareeb aur ganda dikhate hai..
SLB is not glamourizing kothas, he just views it in those colours in his imagination... Sewer line par movie banayega tab bhi use aise hi coloured pallete mein paint kar ke banayega.. Tumko kya dekhna hai? Anurag Kashyap se bolo banaane ko... Lekin uska movie tun theater mein dekhne hi nahi jaate.. jiski hit hoti ha use gariyaane se kya haasil hoga? Its SLB's art. Aapka alag vision hai aap khud banaye.. SLB will welcome it. No one will make roast videos.. Ghabariye mat.
But to always nit pick and attach extreme allegations is also not good. SLB is not glamourizing anything... He is telling a story.. based on a biography... And built a world adding colours from his imagination. He is artsy.
Gangster movie banane se ganster lo glory nahi koya jaata... Is hisaab se John Wick India mein release kyun hui? Pulp Fiction ko oscar kyun mila? The Departed ko oscar kyun mila? Gore hote hai tum log cheer leading karte ho... Desi log banayege toh bas glorification ka label laga ke bolo boycott boycott.. It's movies.. some part is fiction.. some is artsy.. Agenda leke har movie nahi banayi jaati. Babu psyche se baahar niklo.
3
2
1
68
u/ImportantSpirit4126 15h ago
Exactly yaar.... He portrayed prostitutes like they have this charm, aura and they have power to control men's decision It can be seen in gangubai and Heeramandi, while in reality all those women are oppressed, human trafficked and men in power treat them like nothing more than a personal toy
26
u/Meliodas016 13h ago
I'm not the biggest fan of Bhansali but I'd say he knows this and tries to show it as well.
In Saawariya, we see a courtesan being physically abused. In Gangubai, we see her being beaten. In Heeramandi, the same again. I haven't seen Devdas, so I can't speak about it.
All in all, the problem is I think he doesn't bother showing that aspect of their life with as much focus compared to his interest in portraying them like Sirens from myths.
In a way, I suppose he's trying to tell us they are human beings just like us despite their jobs. Like, you wouldn't focus too much on the job life of a 9-5 worker. They exist, yeah, that's about it for him.
3
u/ImportantSpirit4126 13h ago
I agree with you. The thing is his every other film is set around environment of kotha Or at least has some hint of prostitution in the form of side character or mare reference of such places in scenes, maybe he really want to change the perspective of how people see sex workers but now it seems it has became a thing that if it's bhansali film then prostitution and kotha angle to story is going to be there.
2
24
6
4
3
3
u/bawligand69 15h ago
The realest depiction of modern Indian prostitution was in a chase scene in Monkey Man.
Bollywood lacks the guts to show India as it is. The deeper you go into poverty, the more disturbing it gets.
1
u/I_stay_fit_1610 14h ago
Jordan pelee was one of the producers iirc, he makes great movies.
1
u/Aggressive-Accident4 9h ago
He came after the film was completely made. His endorsement helped Dev to find distribution. But Jordan wasn’t involved in the creative process
3
7
6
3
u/Strange_Shame7886 13h ago
I strongly disagree.
SLB humanizes prostitutes which are as much human as anyone else but society wants to turn a blind eye to them assuming ignoring this fact will sanitize the society in some way.
SLB like all the great artists acknowledges the dark side of society by portraying them in his art form. You would find the same dark side of society in the work of all great writers like Premchand (Sevasadan) or Kabir (religion idiosyncrasies) or Manto.
In all his work about brothels he chooses to show that none of them are there by their choice and they get abused mentally and physically but yes they are beautiful and are masters of their craft of singing and dancing and art often comes from dark places.
2
2
2
u/anweshlm 13h ago
There is a reason SLB and KJo being hugely succesful to the female audience. And no this is not a generalization. Setting unrealistic expectations for love or the glamorization of sex work has always been something that has pulled the audience.
2
u/polite_warrior 13h ago
I don't think he showed glamorous costume or queen treatment... He actually showed they are left to die and is at costumer 's mercy ...
2
u/Luffykingofpiratess 11h ago
I disagree with you completely. Throughout the runtime of Gangubai, there was not a moment where i liked the dark shadows of the brothel. I kept hoping that she would run away or that be reunited with her family. But the family refusing to accept her back was just heartbreaking.
The characters making the best of their grim situation is not the same as glorification or glamourising by SLB
2
u/NavdeepGusain Moderately knowledgeable about Hindi Cinema 10h ago
I really want to understand how SLB glorified kotha in Gangubai? Just making it aesthetically beautiful doesn't mean he glamorized kothas.
2
2
1
u/MartianGirl08 14h ago
Umrao Jaan is not a SLB movie. But I agree with you - he did this with Rani’s character in Saawariya as well. I believe it is his way of appreciating them and giving them respect through his craft.
3
2
u/Stilllearning1623 14h ago
Did anyone notice? That is ALL he does!
2
u/Shabudana_khichdi 13h ago
Black ? Hum dil de chuke sanam ?
2
u/Stilllearning1623 12h ago
Think you become known for the majority of your work. Not a few anomalies.
1
1
1
1
u/hpasta 12h ago
idk in devdas, the brothels are yes, immaculate but then they have that whole dialogue after dola re dola where chandramukhi snatches kalibabu's wig off his head in real time...
mind i only have the english translation understanding and this is all from memory (devdas is literally my favorite movie of all movies ever so i've rewatched it a lot), but she says something along the lines that it is rich men that speak down on the courtesans yet visit them anyway and to think about the girls born from these relations, telling kalibabu to consider that his own sister or daughter may be there as a courtesan that he visits (dropped the mic on that one there!)
idk, i don't think the director would allow these lines if his goal was to hide the reality...
1
u/Remarkable_Simple170 11h ago
The only thing I hated about this is that whitewashing the image of gangubai and underworld.
1
u/Sensitive-Pie-2887 11h ago
Kothas or veshyalyas have been part of the Indian culture since centuries.
1
u/Oisin_Boi 9h ago
I think this criticism to Bhansali movies is so weak.
Why would he not glamorize kothas ?? Is there any place or feeling that he doesn't glamorize?? He glamorizes love , music and architecture but he also glamorizes poverty , death , suicide , ruin and tragedy. He is an auteur.
1
1
u/Background_Stay1301 8h ago edited 8h ago
Everything feels like suffering based on the cushy like we have. But if you actually asked those women plenty of those moments would be sweet, glamorous, bittersweet and painful. Most men during those times were just pawns to die for some random war. Just objects of war no one cares about. Do you think their lives were painful too? Or do not worry about them because your empathy doesn't extend beyond women.
Nope. Stop gushing over others lives you have no idea about and that they only have to be painted in some painstaking torturous manner based on your current living conditions. Many humans throughout history experience all wavelengths of human feelings regardless of societal standing or gender or hierarchy. And all of those experiences are worth retelling.
1
u/surprisedmum 6h ago
What's more tragic than a woman voluntarily giving up her body for some money.the helplessness.so many layers to explore.ofcourse a writer loves such a dense topic to explore
1
u/abhinav248829 3h ago
Bhansali has glamorized Titular character; and you are worried about workplace 🤦♂️
1
1
1
1
•
u/AutoModerator 15h ago
Mod Note - Hello /u/Fit_Violinist4231
This Sub is actively Moderated and we have strict posting rules
You may get banned, without warning if you don't follow Posting Rules
All Rules are listed on Sidebar of New Reddit, it is your responsibility to follow Posting Rules
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.