Ahead Of 'Heeramandi', Watch These Bollywood Films Portraying The Lives Of Courtesans

Netflix’s new series Heeramandi is as grand as one would have imagined. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, in his unique style, portraying the golden era of Courtesans in India is a treat to watch. Set against the backdrop of the 1940s, Heeramandi narrates the lives of courtesans in the pre-independence era featuring a stellar cast including Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hyadri, Sharmin Segal, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Sonakshi Sinha. For those who don’t know, this isn’t the first time the lives of courtesans have been illustrated through the Bollywood lens. If the magic of Heeramandi has left you asking for more, find here 3 other Hindi movies representing the real life of courtesans. 

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Devdas

This isn’t the first time Sanjay Leela Bhansali has created magic on screen with his stellar portrayal of courtesans. Devdas (2002) remains one of his finest and highly appreciated works to date. While Dev (Shah Rukh Khan) and Paro’s (Aishwarya Rai) love story remains at the forefront, the director did justice in highlighting Madhuri’s character Chandramukhi, a courtesan who falls in love with Dev, who belongs to a respected family. Regardless of being a supporting character, Chandramukhi came out to be strong and selfless making us all go ‘maar dala’ over her performance. Watch this movie on Amazon Prime Video and JioCinema. 

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Pakeezah

When we talk about Bollywood films based on the lives of Courtesans, Meena Kumari’s portrayal of Sahibjaan in the 1972 movie Pakeezah remains one of the best examples. In the Amazon Prime Video movie, Sahibjaan struggles to break free from the chains of prostitution, until a young forest ranger named Salim falls in love with her. Unfortunately, his wealthy parents are against the union. 

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

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Umrao Jaan

Rekha being the goddess she is, set the bar high for the roles of courtesans in Bollywood with her 1981 movie Umrao Jaan. In the film, Rekha portrays the story of a young girl who is sold to a brothel and later becomes a celebrated poet. With her ‘Aankhon Ki Masti’ and singing ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai, Rekha made us all swoon over her ever since. Watch this movie on Amazon Prime Video. 

IMDb Rating: 5.4/10

Image Courtesy: IMDb

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