Abstract:

By focusing on a group of female strippers who work in a nightclub in the suburbs of Bombay, INDIA CABARET explores the 'respectable' and 'corrupt' stereotypes which typify women in contemporary Indian society. It shows us the ordinary lives the dancers lead during the day, and follows them into the night into the dressing room where they transform themselves into 'queens of the night.' The film tells their story, relating their hopes and fears while respecting their sense of pride, independence, strength and resilience. It also reveals the rules and double standards of India’s patriarchal society.