''Tawaif'' is an 1985 Indian
drama movie
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...
. It was produced by R. C. Kumar and directed by
B. R. Chopra.
It stars
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...
,
Rati Agnihotri
Rati Agnihotri (born 10 December 1960) is an Indian actress, known for acting in Hindi, as well as in Telugu and Tamil language films. Her roles in the cult-tragedy film ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'' (1981) and the drama film ''Tawaif'' (1985) earned h ...
,
Poonam Dhillon
Poonam Dhillon (born 18 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. A former Femina Miss India (1977), she is best known for her 1979 film '' Noorie.'' Some of her well-known films include '' Red Rose'' (1980), '' Dard'' (1981), ''Romance' ...
,
Deepak Parashar
Deepak Parashar (born 2 April 1952) is an Indian actor and former model. He was a contestant on ''Bigg Boss'' in 2006.
Early life
He was born in Pune, India on 2 April 1952 to Shobha and Vishvanath Parashar. He was married in 1985 to Sarita an ...
in lead roles, with
Ashok Kumar
Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family.
He ...
,
Kader Khan
Kader Khan (22 October 1937 – 31 December 2018) was an Indian actor, screenwriter and film director. As an actor, he appeared in over 300 Bollywood films after his debut film in the 1973 film '' Daag'', starring Rajesh Khanna, in which he ...
,
Asrani
Govardhan Asrani (born 1 January 1940), popularly known simply as Asrani, is an Indian actor and director whose Bollywood career has spanned five decades. He has acted in over 350 Hindi films. Asrani has played the lead roles, character roles, ...
,
Iftekhar
Sayedna Iftekhar Ahmed Sharif (22 February 1924 – 4 March 1995), often mononymously credited as Iftekhar, was an Indian actor who mainly worked in Hindi cinema. He is known for his role as a police officer.
Career
Iftekhar was born in ...
,
Shashikala
Shashikala Saigal (née Jawalkar; 4 August 1932 – 4 April 2021), better known by her first name, was an Indian film and television actress, who played supporting roles in hundreds of Bollywood films beginning in the 1940s.
Early years
Shash ...
,
Sushma Seth
Sushma Seth (born 20 June 1936) is an Indian stage, film and television actress. She started her career in the 1950s, and was a founder member of the Delhi-based theatre group Yatrik. Her first movie was ''Junoon (1978 film), Junoon'' in ...
in other important roles.
Plot
The story is set around a
Tawaif
A ''tawaif'' was a highly successful entertainer who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance ( mujra), theatre, and the Urdu literary tradi ...
(courtesan or someone who willingly or otherwise adopts the profession of entertaining others for a living), Sultana, who accidentally enters the life of Dawood Mohammed Ali Khan Yusaf Zahi. Dawood has already fallen in love with writer Kaynat Mirza. Dawood finds himself in a situation such that he has to claim that Sultana is his wife. Sultana soon makes room in everybody's heart with her softness and intelligence, love, affection and playfulness. Dawood's life takes a turn when he acknowledges that he cannot forget his first love Kaynat, but neither can he subdue his new, burgeoning feelings for Sultana, whose true identity he cannot reveal to anybody without dire consequences both for himself and for her.
In the end, Dawood accepts he has fallen in love with Sultana, while Sulaiman, who has always cared deeply for Kaynat, confesses his love to her.
Cast
*
Ashok Kumar
Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family.
He ...
as Mr. Nigam
*
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...
as Dawood Mohammed Ali Khan Yusuf Zahi
*
Rati Agnihotri
Rati Agnihotri (born 10 December 1960) is an Indian actress, known for acting in Hindi, as well as in Telugu and Tamil language films. Her roles in the cult-tragedy film ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'' (1981) and the drama film ''Tawaif'' (1985) earned h ...
as Sultana
*
Poonam Dhillon
Poonam Dhillon (born 18 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. A former Femina Miss India (1977), she is best known for her 1979 film '' Noorie.'' Some of her well-known films include '' Red Rose'' (1980), '' Dard'' (1981), ''Romance' ...
as Kaynat Mirza
*
Deepak Parashar
Deepak Parashar (born 2 April 1952) is an Indian actor and former model. He was a contestant on ''Bigg Boss'' in 2006.
Early life
He was born in Pune, India on 2 April 1952 to Shobha and Vishvanath Parashar. He was married in 1985 to Sarita an ...
as Sulaiman
*
Kader Khan
Kader Khan (22 October 1937 – 31 December 2018) was an Indian actor, screenwriter and film director. As an actor, he appeared in over 300 Bollywood films after his debut film in the 1973 film '' Daag'', starring Rajesh Khanna, in which he ...
as Rahim Shaikh
*
Asrani
Govardhan Asrani (born 1 January 1940), popularly known simply as Asrani, is an Indian actor and director whose Bollywood career has spanned five decades. He has acted in over 350 Hindi films. Asrani has played the lead roles, character roles, ...
as Constable Pandya
*
Iftekhar
Sayedna Iftekhar Ahmed Sharif (22 February 1924 – 4 March 1995), often mononymously credited as Iftekhar, was an Indian actor who mainly worked in Hindi cinema. He is known for his role as a police officer.
Career
Iftekhar was born in ...
as Lala Fakirchand
*
Shashikala
Shashikala Saigal (née Jawalkar; 4 August 1932 – 4 April 2021), better known by her first name, was an Indian film and television actress, who played supporting roles in hundreds of Bollywood films beginning in the 1940s.
Early years
Shash ...
as Bilquis Bai
*
Sushma Seth
Sushma Seth (born 20 June 1936) is an Indian stage, film and television actress. She started her career in the 1950s, and was a founder member of the Delhi-based theatre group Yatrik. Her first movie was ''Junoon (1978 film), Junoon'' in ...
as Ameena Bai
Soundtrack
The music for all the songs were composed by
Ravi Ravi may refer to:
People
* Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director
* Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist
* Ravi (music director) (1926–201 ...
and penned by
Hasan Kamaal.
Awards
;
33rd Filmfare Awards
The 33rd Filmfare Awards were held in 1986, in Mumbai, India.
''Ram Teri Ganga Maili'' and ''Saagar'' led the ceremony with 10 nominations each, followed by ''Meri Jung'' and ''Tawaif'' with 7 nominations.
''Ram Teri Ganga Maili'' won 5 awar ...
:
Won
*
Best Story – Dr. Aleem Masroor
*
Best Dialogue –
Rahi Masoom Raza
Rahi Masoom Reza (September 1927 – 15 March 1992) was an Indian Urdu and Hindi poet and writer and a Bollywood lyricist. He won the Filmfare Best Dialogue Award for the hit film ''Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki'' in 1979, followed by '' Mili'' and ...
Nominated
*
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
– R. C. Kumar
*
Best Actor –
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...
*
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
–
Rati Agnihotri
Rati Agnihotri (born 10 December 1960) is an Indian actress, known for acting in Hindi, as well as in Telugu and Tamil language films. Her roles in the cult-tragedy film ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'' (1981) and the drama film ''Tawaif'' (1985) earned h ...
*
Best Supporting Actress –
Sushma Seth
Sushma Seth (born 20 June 1936) is an Indian stage, film and television actress. She started her career in the 1950s, and was a founder member of the Delhi-based theatre group Yatrik. Her first movie was ''Junoon (1978 film), Junoon'' in ...
*
Best Lyricist –
Hasan Kamal
Hasan Kamal (born 1 January 1943) is an Indian lyricist and songwriter. The recipient of numerous awards, including Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist in 1985 for the title song of the film '' Aaj Ki Aawaz'' (1984), he started his career in 198 ...
for "Bohot Der Se"
References
External links
*
1980s Hindi-language films
1980s Urdu-language films
1985 films
Films about courtesans in India
Films directed by B. R. Chopra
Films scored by Ravi
Urdu-language Indian films
{{1980s-Hindi-film-stub