Mira Nair’s India Cabaret Peels Back Layers Of Indian Patriarchy & The Male Gaze

The male gaze has been of much contention for many years. While some deny its existence, it is not difficult to comprehend its omnipresence. In our films, text, music, news, and more; the trickle-down effect of the patriarchy is evident.

Even years ago, the story was the same, if not worse. Mira Nair’s India Cabaret (1985) candidly takes us through the lives of cabaret dancers in one of the bars that existed then in Mumbai. It paints a picture of the highs and lows of the lives they led, including the joy they experienced, the shame (or the lack of it) they may have felt, and the confidence it takes to put yourself and your body out there.

‘If the viewer does not feel shame, then why should the viewed?’ questions one of the cabaret dancers in the documentary.

The strikingly authentic dialogue throughout the documentary provides insight into the complex ways in which these women had to navigate each sphere of their lives - including income, marriage, family, and society.

India Cabaret on the whole revolves around how tackling patriarchal society, even when serving it through entertainment, puts the burden wrongfully and solely into the hands of women. The best the women could do was not care, but society remained determined to judge their characters.

Mira Nair’s genius shines through with the conversations she initiates and the moments she captures. Truest to the complex and multifaceted lives of the women portrayed, India Cabaret is as delightful as it is heartbreaking.

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