Tawaif(1985)
Hindi142 minstheatrical
Tawaif (1985) is a 142-minute Hindi film directed by B.R. Chopra. The film features Asrani, Sushma Seth and Ashalata Wabgaonkar. With a rating of 4.6/10 from 1985.
Director:B.R. Chopra
Mood:
emotionaldarkuplifting
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Prime Video, Apple TV, Eros Now, Airtel Xstream Play, YouTube, Plex
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 1985
- Director
- B.R. Chopra
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 22m
- Rating
- 4.6/10
Storyline
A courtesan ends up living with a kind, ordinary man, hiding her true profession. She falls in love with him, but her secret past threatens to keep them apart.
“A secret past threatens a forbidden love.”
Film Details
4.6Rating
142Minutes
HindiLanguage
Release Date1 January 1985
Release Typetheatrical
Original Titleतवाइफ़
Parental Guide
Violence
Low
Language
Low
Sex / Nudity
Mild
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Low
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Mood
emotionaldarkuplifting
Themes
loveidentityfamilycorruption
Toneserious
Pacingslow-burn
Complexitymoderate
Audiencemultiplex
Best Withwith-partner
Violence2
Emotion5
Humor1
Rewatchability3
Cast & Crew
#1
Ashok KumarActor
→#2Rishi KapoorActor
→#3Rati AgnihotriActor
→#4AsraniConstable Pandya
→#5S
Sushma SethAmina Ba
→#6
#7A
Ashalata WabgaonkarKaynat's mother
→Poonam DhillonKaynat Mirza
→#8Kader KhanRahim Sheikh
→#9IftekharLala Fakirchand
→#10D
Deepak ParasharSulaiman
→#11B
B.R. ChopraDirector
→#12
R
R.C. KumarCrew
→#13
R
Rahi Masoom RazaCrew
→Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Tawaif
Cast reunions in this film: Asrani & Kader Khan (41 films together), Rishi Kapoor & Kader Khan (15 films together), Rati Agnihotri & Iftekhar (6 films together), Sushma & Rishi Kapoor (5 films together), Sushma & Kader Khan (4 films together), and Rati Agnihotri & Rishi Kapoor (4 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally offered to Rekha, but she turned it down, leading to Rati Agnihotri being cast as the lead.
- This was one of the few films where actor Rishi Kapoor played a more serious, non-romantic character.
- The movie's music, composed by Ravi, was a major hit, with the song 'Kya Karoon' becoming especially popular.
- Director B.R. Chopra was known for social dramas, and this film continued his focus on themes of societal stigma.
- The film's title 'Tawaif' refers to a courtesan, a traditional figure in North Indian culture often depicted in cinema.
- It was shot extensively in Lucknow, a city historically associated with the courtesan culture in India.
- Despite its critical themes, the movie did not perform very well at the box office upon its initial release.