There are still rural areas in India that practice traditions that started with India’s ancient palace courtesans—except in those days the operative word was “palace.” Those courtesans were educated, schooled in social graces, they even learned to dance and entertain in grand fashion. Their modern day counterparts are accomplished in nothing in particular … not even the sensual arts for which they are dispatched, as they barely even reach puberty when they’re sent to, basically, use their anatomical advantages to support their family’s sustenance.
 
Mystelle Brabbee’s documentary followed one such family over a period of four or five years. Her protagonist is a bright, feisty, seventeen-year-old Guddi Chauhan, with movie star good looks. From her viewpoint, which includes her siblings and neighbors, we see the resignation that these young girls adopt regarding the lifestyle they are thrust into. They know there are no viable jobs in their area that enable family members to afford the simple necessities of daily life. It is ultimately up to them to shoulder that responsibility by donning billowy robes and smiling on the roadside to prostitute themselves.

For the most part, the girls are adapted to their lot. All who were profiled by Brabbee were intelligent, caring, amiable young women. But her heroine, Guddi, was more independent minded that her peers. Clearly she was looking for a way out. Perhaps it would be her boyfriend—except her father refused to let her marry him or any other suitors she presented. Presumably, Guddi was too much of a cash cow to relinquish to any humble suitor.
Most of the girls bear the children of their regular roadside clients, and many consider them their boyfriends, even though they may only see these men once a month, if that. Guddi was apparently unable to conceive a child and I got the distinct feeling (even if Guddi doesn’t share the sentiment) that, under the circumstances, this is a blessing. In another place, under different conditions, this is a young woman with daunting potential.

The premise of Brabbee’s documentary is certainly disturbing, and she integrates her camera seamlessly into the lives of her subjects. I found it rather amazing how truly beautiful these amiable and amenable girls happened to be. But even through the many years of filming, the material covered often overlapped. The characters were warm and winning—even Guddi’s smarmy pimplike father had his charm—but the impact might have been heightened by trimming at least ten minutes off the final cut. It would also bring the piece to a more TV-friendly length.

Other than that, this is an intimate and worthwhile exposé, though it does leave the viewer with few practical alternatives for these young courtesans. Unfortunately, many of these young girls may erode the remote villages where they live and perhaps even drive themselves to homelessness.