Mandi is Shyam Benegal’s empathetic look at sex work in a small Hyderabad town in the early 80s. The film revolves around Rukmini Bai (Shabana Azmi), who is the matriarch of a brothel. While the brothel is surrounded by the chaos of the city, there is a sort of tranquillity inside. Zeenat (Smita Patil) is seen doing riyaaz very often, and her voice echoes across the premises.
For a film from the 80s, it is especially striking that we aren’t looking down on prostitution as the film goes on. All that we see is a strong sense of sisterhood among each of the women. The women don’t see themselves as downtrodden just because of their profession, and they demand respect from everybody they encounter. They have come to terms with this being their bread and butter, and that they cannot leave and make ends meet on the outside.
Rukmini Bai’s character is the strongest in the film, she worships her place of work and takes care of everybody. She is, in many senses, like a mother, who chides you when you’re wrong, and praises you when you’ve done something good. Her dialogues are also remarkable, one of the most moving lines: "Hashim Sahib toh jaante hain, ki hum hunar aur mehnat se kalakaar hain, par kismat ne hume kichad mein patak diya.”
The set design is an essential aspect of the film as well. The brothel isn’t dark and dingy, it isn’t hidden away. There is light. It is parallel to the strong characters of the women, who carry out their profession with dignity.
The use of symbolism is great in the film, like the parrot in the cage symbolising Zeenat. She is a curious character, who is entirely aware of the world outside, one that Rukmini Bai always shields her from. She is the only one who can flee and make a life of her own because her life isn’t ‘tainted’ by prostitution. The mirrors show the perversion of the men, but also at some level, show the constant introspection of Rukmini Bai and Zeenat. It is, largely, a third-person point-of-view, helmed by the camerawork, without which the film wouldn’t be the same.
There is a strong self-awareness in every character in the film, which is brought to life by the wonderful screenplay adapted from Ghulam Abbas’ story. This film rides solely on its characters and their arcs, and that simplicity makes it wonderful.
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