In the Flesh (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
In the Flesh: three lives in prostitution is a 2003
independent
documentary by Bishakha Datta
about the lives of three Indian sex workers, written for a family audience. It is a low-budget film set in Calcutta and Mumbai
that describes the everyday life of its subjects.
It was filmed in 2000, and released in India in 2002, before an international release in 2003. The subjects of the documentary were chosen with help from the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee
(a Calcutta sex worker collective) and at Calcutta's Sex Workers Mela, an annual event held in the city's Salt Lake Stadium
that attracts over 10,000 people a day.
), Bhaskar (a transgendered hijra
person who sells sex to men in Calcutta), and Uma, a former theater actress who lives in a Calcutta brothel. The film follows their daily routines, from picking up customers and sex to their private social lives to violence and activism.
about its work with sex workers over the previous 10 years.
After its Indian release in 2002, it was screened internationally in 2003:
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
documentary by Bishakha Datta
Bishakha Datta
Bishakha Datta is an Indian journalist and film-maker, best known for her work documenting the role of women in different aspects of Indian society...
about the lives of three Indian sex workers, written for a family audience. It is a low-budget film set in Calcutta and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
that describes the everyday life of its subjects.
It was filmed in 2000, and released in India in 2002, before an international release in 2003. The subjects of the documentary were chosen with help from the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee
Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee
The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee or Durbar, is an organization which describesitself as representing the interests of about 65 000 sex workers in India. It was set up in 1995 and it is based in West Bengal, India...
(a Calcutta sex worker collective) and at Calcutta's Sex Workers Mela, an annual event held in the city's Salt Lake Stadium
Salt Lake Stadium
Salt Lake Stadium , is a multi-purpose stadium in Bidhannagar, Kolkata, West Bengal.-Information:...
that attracts over 10,000 people a day.
Plot
In The Flesh follows three sex workers, Shabana (who works the highways near MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
), Bhaskar (a transgendered hijra
Hijra (South Asia)
In the culture of South Asia, hijras or chakka in Kannada, khusra in Punjabi and kojja in Telugu are physiological males who have feminine gender identity, women's clothing and other feminine gender roles. Hijras have a long recorded history in the Indian subcontinent, from the antiquity, as...
person who sells sex to men in Calcutta), and Uma, a former theater actress who lives in a Calcutta brothel. The film follows their daily routines, from picking up customers and sex to their private social lives to violence and activism.
History and reception
The idea for the film came about while Datta and Point of View were researching a report for the grassroots organization SangramSangram
Sampada Gramin Mahila Sanstha is a voluntary organization that works at the grassroots level with activists, volunteers and paid workers. It is slowly gaining importance as a practical training ground for other NGO’s and GO’s interested in working on HIV/AIDS in a rural context...
about its work with sex workers over the previous 10 years.
After its Indian release in 2002, it was screened internationally in 2003:
- Global Visions Film and Video Festival, Canada 2003
- Three Continents Human Rights Film Festival, Cape Town, South Africa 2003
- South Asia Human Rights Film and Video Festival, New York 2003
- International Video Festival, Trivandrum 2003
External links
- Indieflix has a short clip and stills online.