New translation of famed screenwriter Nabendu Ghosh’s Mistress of Melodies published

A new translation of famed screenwriter Nabendu Ghosh’s Mistress of Melodies: Stories of Courtesans and Prostituted Women by Speaking Tiger Books has been published. The late artiste scripted beloved films such as Devdas (1955), Bandini (1963), and Abhimaan (1973).

The collection of stories, translated and edited by Ratnottama Sengupta, Ghosh’s daughter, focuses on courtesans and women involved in sex work. Sengupta, a former member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), has also served on the jury of the National Film Awards and won a National Film Award, the Special Jury Award/Special Mention (Book on Cinema).

The paperback edition also features a foreword by filmmaker Muzaffar Ali.

Announcing its release, Sengupta said, “When I hear the term ‘sex worker,’ I always want to know: ‘Did she choose prostitution as a career option? Did Chandramukhi of Devdas apply for the job in a kotha? Do today’s brothel inmates enjoy job security? Promotions? Retirement benefits? Was any glamorous Baiji in Chitpore ever counseled about the abuse inherent in her job? Does the trafficked housewife Chhaya of Market Price have the option to quit the job? Can Basana of Dregs go for a career change?’ Because the answer to all my questions are an emphatic no, I reject the 20th-century term that implies prostitution is an innocuous, even wholesome work like a telephone operator’s, or a dentist’s secretary. And long before I learned to pose these questions, Nabendu Ghosh showed it is far from the truth — as these stories illustrate.”
 
In his foreword to the book, Ali writes, “Straddling the worlds of Bombay and Calcutta through his writings, Nabenduda helps us relive that harsh yet touching past, with each story making us stop and ponder: what did the women feel when they had to sell their art, their hearts, and souls along with their bodies, within the short-lived span of their beauty and charm? He shows how they were exploited at every turn where they showed any sign of weakness. He evokes the pathos of lives that walked a tightrope until they could balance no more. And often that was how their saga faded, with no one turning to look back upon them.”

Mistress of Melodies: Stories of Courtesans and Prostituted Women is now available on Speaking Tiger Books here.