Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi has put the spotlight on the courtesans and the role they played in pre-Independence India. Apart from the grandeur and aesthetics of Bhansali’s world, it asks interesting questions: How powerful were the ‘tawaifs’ and how big was the role of these women in the freedom struggle?
One such example can be quoted from the book My Name Is Gauhar Jaan by Vikram Sampath. The story dates back to the 1910s when Mahatma Gandhi started the ‘Swaraj fund’ to support the freedom struggle. Apart from the citizens, the courtesans also contributed to the fund and one such influential personality was Gauhar Jaan. Considered amongst the richest women in India at the time — a ‘crorepati (millionaire)’ — whose voice sold thousands of records.
Gauhar and Gandhiji first met in Calcutta in 1920 during a Swaraj Movement fundraiser. Aware of her nationwide popularity, Gandhiji sought her help, believing she could make a hefty contribution. Gauhar agreed to perform at a fundraising concert but had one condition.
She demanded that Gandhiji should attend the event and meet her in person. While Gandhiji found the demands amusing, he agreed to attend the event. However, he couldn’t attend due to political developments. Instead, he sent Maulana Shankat Ali as his representative. The sold-out concert went ahead, with Gauhar performing while searching for Gandhi in the audience. They collected Rs 24,000 from the fundraising event.
However, what happened next left Maulana Shankat Ali shocked. When he went to collect the amount from Gauhar, he only received Rs 12,000. When asked for the rest of the amount, Gauhar said, “Mahatma couldn’t keep his word given to a mere tawaif while he speaks of honesty and sincerity. Since he has only kept half of his promise, I too shall be giving only half of the original amount I intended to donate.”
SLB’s Heermandi is currently streaming on Netflix. The show stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Sheikh in pivotal roles.
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