Assignment 101: "Umrao Jaan: Empowering Portrayals and Societal Reflection on Prostitution Through Angelica's Lens
This blog is part of an assignment for paper 101- The Literature of Elizabethans and Restoration Periods.
Personal Information:-
Name:- Aakash Chavda
Batch:- M.A. Sem 1 (2023-2025)
Enrollment Number:- 5108230011
E-mail Address:- aakashchavda637@gmail.com
Roll Number:- 1
Assignment Details:-
Topic: "Umrao Jaan: Empowering Portrayals and Societal Reflection on Prostitution Through Angelica's Lens
Paper & subject code:- 101 - Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration Periods & 22392
Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar.
Date of Submission:- 01 December,2023
Abstract
This study extensively explores how the film "Umrao Jaan" empowers its portrayal of prostitution, focusing on the character Angelica from Aphra Behn's restoration comedy 'The Rover'. Through an analysis of Angelica's character and interactions with the character of Amiran from the movie 'Umrao Jaan', the research uncovers nuanced layers of empowerment within the representation of both characters. Additionally, the study delves into the film's societal reflection on prostitution stigma, examining the broader commentary on societal attitudes and social prejudices. By scrutinizing character dynamics within the socio-cultural context, the research sheds light on themes of empowerment and societal perceptions. The research highlights the potential of cinematic narratives, especially those centered on characters like Angelica, to challenge norms and foster nuanced discourse on sex work. It advocates for a deeper examination of filmic representations, emphasizing cinema's role in shaping societal perspectives on marginalized communities.
Key Words: Prostitution, sex workers, cinematic portrayal, societal stigma
Introduction
The film "Umrao Jaan," based on the first Urdu novel "Umrao Jaan Ada" (1899) by Mirza Hadi Ruswa, is known for its complexity and melodrama. It has inspired two Bollywood adaptations featuring iconic female leads—Rekha in the 1981 version directed by Muzaffar Ali and Aishwarya Rai in the 2006 adaptation. The narrative revolves around Amiran, kidnapped from Lucknow in 1840 and forced into a life as a courtesan named Umrao Jaan. Her tumultuous journey includes relationships with high-status individuals like Nawab Sultan, but societal disapproval, changing circumstances, and personal tragedies lead to a series of disownments and misfortunes. The character of Angelica in "The Rover" bears a striking resemblance to Amiran in terms of portrayal, struggles, societal constraints, and the inability to find true love due to their status as courtesans. Both stories unfold with a sense of tragedy, leaving the heroines penniless and reflective on their challenging lives. The films' runtimes exceed two hours, emphasizing the depth and intricacy of their narratives (paraphrased from Kalia's analysis).
Prostitution as an Occupation
In spite of a well-paid occupation, prostitution is considered low-skill and labor-intensive, generally female-dominated. The idea of women as 'commodities' is way more stereotypical, but it is still prevalent in contemporary times in some way. This occupation is more common in still-developing countries, but that doesn't mean that it is absent in developed countries. We argue that the line between poverty and prostitution is thin, which is why it is so common in developing countries. Prostitution is a multibillion-dollar business that employs millions of women worldwide. A recent study by the International Labour Office estimated that in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, between 0.25 and 1.5 percent of the female population work as prostitutes and that the sex sector accounts for between 2 and 14 percent of the gross domestic product (Lim 1998). Inappropriate portrayals of sex workers in films have a taste of success because they cater to the popular interests of the masses, whether in Indian cinema or Western cinema. Sex and sexual objectification of women seem to have become intertwined in its movie narratives.
While Angelica in "The Rover" is a resilient and self-reliant character, her identity as a courtesan subjects her to societal biases and condemnations. The representation of prostitution in the play mirrors the prevailing attitudes of that era, portraying women in such professions as marginalized and morally scrutinized. She also charges a substantial amount of 'A Thousand Crown' per month to grant sexual favors to the clients; these clients are often from high-class society, such as Don Pedro and Don Antonio in the play. They were so mad at the beauty of Angelica that they agreed to pay the amount. Despite being close friends, both became enemies of each other because of Angelica. Even a charming man like Willmore succumbs to the beauty of Angelica. On the other hand, Umrao Jaan also works for the same; she has nothing to do but host Mujra (a dancing show) for Sultans and earn money for their keepers. Same agency of earning we can observe in both the works and people who revel in these kind of thing are often from elevated class.
Tawaif Culture in 'Umrao Jaan'
The idea of a ‘Courtesan’ or ‘Tawaif’ in India has not only undergone a semiotic shift but also a massive paradigmatic and ideological shift. This shift is suggestive of the constructed nature of this culture and that of the social identity known as ‘Tawaif’’. Being a tawaif has more serious implications than merely a profession for a class of women; it is a complex social culture. One such movie that portrays this culture is Umrao Jaan (1981). Initially, the word tawaif was not the synonym for prostitution. Indian courtesans pervaded pre-colonial art, literature, and mythology and were the “keepers of culture." They performed at princely courts where nautches (an anglicized form of ‘nach’) or ‘dance performances’ were held by Indian kings. The deposition of the king of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah, resulted in the complete downfall of the economic and social status of the courtesans. The story of a Lucknow tawaif Umrao Jaan (Rekha), sold in childhood, grows up in Khanum Jan’s kotha, loves a Nawab, and yet is a victim of social restrictions.
The cinematic representation of the tawaif culture involves a complex interplay of socio-cultural constructs such as language, spatial dynamics, gender, sexuality, power, and marriage. These elements collectively contribute to the creation of the tawaif as a product shaped by broader ideologies. Filmmakers, through their ideological lens, reflect and reinforce societal attitudes towards tawaifs, who often face gendered treatment and challenges in forming their individual identities.
Socio-Cultural Context
Following the collapse of the Puritan Protectorate in 1660, the halls of court seemed to buzz with a festive attitude: “Out with the old and in with the... older.” Cavalier revelries under Charles II regained the notoriety of their pre-Cromwellian counterparts. Britain’s king led his noblemen by example with a hedonistic lifestyle of parties, sex, and extravagant spending. The social and sexual freedom of this “libertinism,” however, did not extend to women. Although women might crave higher degrees of autonomy and sexual expression, their lives still fit within the boundaries of three roles: nun, prostitute, or wife. Between the categories of “virgin” and “whore” lay a void, not a spectrum; one could give “the whole cargo or nothing." The Rover speaks to this double standard, which limited her female peers’ sexual desires to the realm of convent, brothel, or home. Set loose in the topsy-turvy world of Carnival, her characters demonstrate the active, complicated game required of women seeking to secure personal happiness. In the case of Angelica, this is about brothels. Behn’s female characters strive for independence within the limitations of the English system of courtship and marriage.
Theme of Empowerment
While comparing Angelica and Umrao Jaan, we can see that the character of Angelica is more empowered as compared to Umrao, because after receiving rejection at home by her mother and brother, Umrao went back to the brothel. The character of Umrao seems helpless and arouses the emotion of pity in oneself. In the case of Umrao, the empowerment seems more falsified. Umrao Jaan grew up in the brothel of Khanum Jaan, Heartlessly mercantile, she is the cunning mistress behind the buying of young girls for her kotha and transforming them into minting machines. She trains them in dance, music, and the art of seduction. She is the epitome of immense ‘power’ and appears to be a 'Panopticon'-like figure, to use Foucault’s concept of strict surveillance. But this surveillance is not for preserving a strong moral code. She watches over the most coveted tawaifs so that they do not get involved in an emotional relationship with any client or engage in any sexual relations with a procurer-man who lives in the same kotha. Despite being this literate, she cannot help herself from getting out of that brothel but rather tries to captivate herself in it. Angelica, on the contrary, after getting betrayed and falling in love with Wilmore, attempts to kill him with a pistol and take revenge, but does not succeed. This incident shows a more empowered version of Angelica than Umrao Jaan.
Moreover, dialogues in the films are effectively written to portray how tawaifs are made clearly aware of their ‘hateful’ and ‘untouchable’ identity in the society of'respectable' people. These also highlight the gender roles society has defined for women and how social respectability and acceptability are based on strictly conforming to these roles and affect the empowerment of women. This can be observed in the dialogue with Nawab Sultan.
"Tum ek tawaif ho, Umrao. Tumhara koi darja nahi hai yahan."
("You are a courtesan, Umrao. You have no status here."
The tawaifs are made to feel that they are insignificant, mere playthings to the men, meant for temporary pleasure, and easily bought in a few annas. By constantly reminding them of their position in society, people try to cripple the will of tawaifs.
Interactions and Relationships
We can examine Umrao Jaan's romantic entanglements with various partners throughout the narrative. Her relationship with Nawab Sultan and Gauhar Mirza showcases the complexities of love and desire. Firstly, young Umrao is attracted to Gauhar Mirza, but Gauhar Mirza is thrown out by Khanum Jan when the Maulvi catches him getting physically intimate with Umrao Jaan. After that, Umrao Jaan deeply fell in love with Nawab Sultan but could not marry him because of class differences, partly because Sultan knew that Umrao was meant to serve everybody. Here is the idea that you could be a devoted wife or a prostitute, which becomes stronger in the case of Umrao Jaan and Nawab Sultan. At the climax of the narrative, Umrao Jaan is reunited with her mother, but after the revelation of her being a prostitute, her brother refuses to accept Umrao as her sister.
On the other hand, Angelica is desired by all the men in Naples. After her encounter with Willmore at the carnival, she fell in love with him. Angellica’s attempt to unite her sexuality with true love fails. She is initially immune to “the general disease of sex...that of being in love." She can sleep with whomever she wants and has found a way around Behn’s observation that women need reliable male support. However, her life lacks the romantic passion of a hedonistic lifestyle. Moreover, Angellica’s sexual liberation, which lovers must pay to experience, contributes to her inability to snag Willmore’s long-term affection. His lust could have been satiated with her portrait since someone else would “have the thousand crowns to give for the original." Her relegation back to Courtesan shows how transgressive, premarital sex, and proper marriage cannot mix. As a sexual female, Angellica has no place in the world when in the throes of libertine love; she can be neither an indifferent courtesan nor a devoted wife.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, the comparative analysis of Umrao Jaan examined through Angelica's perspective, intricately weaves empowering portrayals of sex work and gives a deep reflection on societal attitudes. Angelica's character, more resilient and structured, challenges stereotypes, offering a more empathetic understanding of those engaged in sex work. The film becomes a potent vehicle for questioning societal norms and fostering a respectful discourse around the complexities of this often stigmatized profession.
References
- Allnatt, Linsey D. For sex or marriage: The commodification of women in William Shakespeare's “Measure for Measure” and Aphra Behn's “The Rover”. University of Houston-Clear Lake, 2008.
- Edlund, Lena, and Evelyn Korn. “A Theory of Prostitution.” Journal of Political Economy, vol. 110, no. 1, 2002, pp. 181–214. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1086/324390. Accessed 25 Nov. 2023.
- Ganguly, Jayati. "Reading the ‘Tawaif’: A Study of Pakeezah, Umrao Jaan, Tawaif and Devdas." Middle Flight 7.1 (2018): 237-251
- Goodson, Ellen T. “Aphra Behn's "The Rover": Evaluating Women's Social and Sexual Options.” Inquiries Journal, http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1695/aphra-behns-the-rover-evaluating-womens-social-and-sexual-options. Accessed 25 November 2023.
- Kalia, Ammar. “Umrao Jaan Ada's tale of courtesans and toxic men makes an unempowering musical.” The Guardian, 23 January 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jan/23/bollywood-umrao-jaan-ada-melodrama-musical-exploitation-sexual-violence. Accessed 25 November 2023.
- Ganguly, Jayati. "Reading the ‘Tawaif’: A Study of Pakeezah, Umrao Jaan, Tawaif and Devdas." Middle Flight 7.1 (2018): 237-251
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