Tawaifs, the first women in Hindi cinema
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2019
- Tawaif is the Awadhi term for a highly-skilled courtesan. Tawaifs rose to prominence during the 18th and 19th centuries in the royal courts of Awadh.
They took Persian influences from the courts of Shia kings and married them with Indian forms. We inherit the Kathak, the dadra, and the thumri from them.
Popular tawaifs were the top tax-paying citizens of Lucknow at one time. By the early 1920s, with the rise of colonial morality and ideas they slowly began to lose their prestige and demand.
Sensing the decline of their kothas and dreading a push into prostitution, the tawaifs began migrating to other professions. Some were lured by the gramophone industry, others moved towards Parsi theatre. It was at this time that they began acting in cinema as well, becoming the first women to do so.
Fatma Begum was the first woman to direct a Bollywood film. Her daughter Zubeida became a star in silent movies and acted in India’s first talkie, Alam Ara (1931).
Jaddanbai set up her own production house called Sangeet Movietone. Her daughter, Nargis, became an accomplished actor. She went on to marry the actor Sunil Dutt, and is the mother of actor Sanjay Dutt.
The song ‘Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal Ched Gaye Ro’, a part of K. Asif’s Mughal-E-Azam (1960) is taken from the repertoire of Uttar Pradesh's tawaifs.
Despite this, there was anxiety within the industry around their sexuality and sensuality. Slowly, a lot of their contributions were played down.
However, it was the role as Tawaif in films like Mugal-E-Azam, Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan; that gave actors like Madhubala, Meena Kumari and Rekha a chance to show off their skills in a hero-driven industry.
Read more here: www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/tawaifs-of-awadh-the-first-women-of-hindi-cinema/article29233983.ece
Pronunciation is extremely wrong of Awadh.
Kathak dance is of Indian Origin, Vaishnavism and story telling were the main elements of kathak before persian influence came in
Technically speaking it is of present day Pakistani origin as it originated in the Taxila province of Pakistan. But yes, it was all the Indus Valley before.
@@nooralimran4643 I completely second you.
Why should you tell of pakistan origin pakistan has given up all other religions they hate vaishnavs. all those vaishnavs have now come to india where they feel safer. So don't go stealing from vaishanavs just because they happened to live in that land and were thrown out because of their religion.
@@nooralimran4643 Pakistan doesn't represent anything that is of "indic origin" it will still be considered indian because the artforms and spiritual aspects of Hinduism are intertwined and can't be separated. Indian classical dance form and music are a part of sadhna in sanatan dharma. They're part of the way of life of the people who follow the indigenous culture of the Indian subcontinent.
Bingo!@@tarass8737
FYI.. Kathak is not inherited from Persian courts and tawaifs. It was already an existing artform amongst different gharanas in India and got evolved in time. Stop spreading this rumour that it is a mughal or persian art form. In fact it was the only classical dance form that withstood all the invasions in North India.
What is else can be expected from
THE HINDU.... always showing wrong details.
They used kathak instead of Persian dance form
So I'm a Kathak dancer. The old form of Kathak did not have many spins (chakkars) or transitional hastaks (arm movements between pieces (literally called Tukras) and it was mostly just abhinaya. With the coming of Khayaal Gayaki from Persia there was expansion in the vocabulary of Kathak to include Farmaaishi tukras, ginti ki tihaai, Aamad, Paran Aamad, Salaam, Chakradaar Tukras, sufi traditional poems, Tarana which were brought in from Ballet Afsaneh from Iran and the whirling Dervaishs of Turkey. This is literally part of our syllabus including Vandanas, Stutis, Kavit Parans and Abhinaya. The Mughals brought in dancers from Persia n Turkey to develop the technical aspects of Kathak while the Pandits of India developed the Abhinaya and Mudras and some hastaks. The extensions and traveling spins and use of space and more floor comes from Benaras gharana but in Lucknow style it is thanks to the Mughals.
@@nooralimran4643 I am also aptly trained in Indian classical styles. The gharanas had their origin from India only. What u say are all exchange of styles and culture. It is seen everywhere including language. Don't trivialise the Indian gurus and their contribution.
@@humann6739 so here my challenge to you. Could you kindly point out the lines in my comment that "trivialize the Indian gurus and their contributions"? I'll wait right here with baited breath.
Well all is about survival right..Is it wrong to evolve if these courtesans have found a way to use their creativity in a better way and earn a so called respectable income then that's a good thing...every human being deserves right to have an honest days earning opportunity with their hard work and talent 😊
Then one day ur daughter or ur daughters daughter will join Sunny Leone type work for earning...lanat hai ...
Once a shame Nw a Fame, in society.. .............dats hw human evolved rapidly
Actually, the cycle is of FAME-SHAME-FAME. They were highly respected as musicians & dancers before the advent of the British.
It's upto the audience how they see it... What is fame for someone may be shame for others
Are you sister of shivankit ?
@@ss2494 they were not respected. There were mostly abducted in childhood to be trained. And they were still 'nachnewali', not something you would want for your daughter in the 18th century.
@@myworldkanika8901 nope dear i will suggest u to hear the podcast from THE SWADDLE. They were powerful once upon a time near 1800s coz in women they were the only ones who had lessons on poetry and literature and its kinda true that it went fame-shame-fame.
Good information
Good one!
Of course. Who would have gone to sing and dance in those days except tawaifs? Jaddanbai, grandmother of Sanjay Dutt, had come to dance at the birth ceremony of my father's tauji. My forefathers were big zamindars in Bihar.
Nice
Want more elaborated documentary.
Really should have found someone more versed with the Urdu and Hindi pronunciation to do the voiceover.
What a beautiful accent. Interesting video.
I didn't know that thanks for video
It's not puckiza but Pakeezah.
❤️❤️
Anyone noticed savithri in the few seconds
Kash ye hindi me bhi hota
Ufff awadhi. Not awaadhi
So nargis is descendant of a courtesy?
Courtesan*....So, what if she is the descendent of a courtesan ??? Courtesans are also humans.
@@PMcse wow you need to clam down. I was just making sure, I have not mentioned any word of disgrace for her.
Her mother had come to dance to my dad's tauji's birth celebration.
Yes. Her mother was a tawaif.
tabhi bollywood main tawaifs bhare pade hai....dekhiye connection
Your pronunciation.. 🥺🥺🥺
Awaaaadh, Awaaaadhi
I have read the article.. It was brilliant. I didn't that they participated in independence. They were one of first rebels against britshers
Completely wrong and misleading information throughout this video. 😂 Whoever passed the write-up should be fired but again what can one expect from the hindu., change your name to the propogandist.
without muslim india is no india
What a joke
Many Actr.. Still are Tawaif👙💃
The definitions have changed now, people have become looser.
Great actors have danced and sung. If you look at it from a traditional lens, tawaifs were funkaars, people who go to other people's celebrations and entertain them so we can say many a Bollywood celebrities because Ambani's tawaifs in that sense. It was once considered a degrading job too.
GAUHAR JAAN was not Tawaif😠
She was
Gauhar jaan was an artist tawaif.
Nargis was a tawaif..... 🙄 (sanju)🤭🤭🤭
No. Nargis's MOTHER was a tawaif, which means a HIGHLY RESPECTED MUSICIAN & DANCER. Watch the video properly. Tawaifs were known for their musical sensibilities. With the advent of the British, they became associated with sensuality but people like Nargis's mother chose to join music production & enter films.
@@ss2494 thanks mate
@@ss2494 tawaifs also slept with one or two of their wealthy clients. And became concubines. Do your research.
@@myworldkanika8901 I am not the one who has made the video. My views are based on the video.The 'research' comment should be targeted towards the content maker.
We inherited Kathak and Dadra from Tawaiif culture!? What level of appropriation and maligning should be considered illegal I imagine?