Does she read the Mint newspaper in between giving fleshy men their few moments of paid pleasure? The prostitute in Imtiaz Ali’s latest short film India Tomorrow belongs to Dalal Street rather than Kamathipura. When her latest customer is interrupted by a phone call informing him that all his stock market investments have tanked, the woman lying in bed next to him turns out to be the real financial brain in the room. The aim of the short film seems to be to upend prejudices about sex workers as well as prove that the slogans “I have a dream” and “Tomorrow is mine” can actually become a reality for women who are trafficked as young girls and sold into the fresh trade. How can this happen? For starters, swap your tabloid for a pink paper.
Reading
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1
‘The Shudra Rebellion’: Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd studies the vital role of oppressed castes in India
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2
Did Indian culture recognise an independent field of study called philosophy?
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3
The Carnatic world is dominated by vocalists. How can instrumentalists find larger audiences?
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4
How an Indian monk contributed to the understanding of Buddhism in China
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5
Upamanyu Chatterjee’s ‘Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life’ wins the JCB Prize for Literature
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6
Nepal should conduct ‘haze diplomacy’ to get India and Pakistan to cooperate on pollution control
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7
Cash transfers, caste calculus: What was behind the Mahayuti’s sweep in Maharashtra?
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8
Jharkhand election: 8 factors that helped JMM-led alliance to beat out the BJP
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9
Sugar is terrible for our health – and the environment
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10
How CJ Chandrachud belied liberal hopes for a strong judiciary that could stand up to Modi