VIKALP, MUMBAI presents the Bombay premiere of Saba Dawan’s new film on music, sexuality, censorship and the enigmatic world of the courtesan.
“THE OTHER SONG”
WHEN: Friday, May 15th, 6.30 pm
WHERE: Alliance Francaise, Theosophy Hall, 40 New Marine Lines, Next to Nirmala Niketan College, Churchgate,Mumbai 400 020, Tel: 22036187
The filmmaker will be present for the screening.
Entrance is free and open to all. Do come and let others know!
ABOUT THE FILM
The Other Song
(120 minutes Hindi / Urdu / English / English subtitles)
In 1935 Rasoolan Bai the well known singer from Varanasi recorded for the gramaphone a thumri that she would never sing again - Lagat jobanwa ma chot, phool gendwa na maar (My breasts are wounded, don't throw flowers at me).A variation of her more famous bhairavi thumri - Lagat karejwa ma chot,
phool gendwa na maar (My heart is wounded, don't throw flowers at me), the 1935 recording, never to be repeated, faded from public memory and eventually got lost.
More than seventy years later the film undertakes a journey through Varanasi,Lucknow and Muzzafarpur in Bihar to search for the forgotten thumri.This journey opens a Pandora's box of life stories, memories, half remembered songs and histories that for long have been banished into oblivion. It brings the film face to face with the enigmatic figure of the tawaif, courtesan, bai ji and the contested terrain of her art practise and lifestyle. To understand the past and present of the tawaif the film must unravel the significant transitions that took place in late 19th
and early 20th century around the control, censorship and moral policing of female sexualities and cultural expression.
CREDITS
Directed by: Saba Dewan
Camera: Rahul Roy
Editing: Reena Mohan / Khushboo Agarwal / Mahadeb Shi / Anupama Chandra
Sound: Asheesh Pandya / Gissy Michael / Vipin Bhati
For more information: sabadewan@gmail.com
Supported by: India Foundation of the Arts and Hivos
