Arati Das: How India's First Cabaret Dancer Became A Feminist Icon

In the 1954 film Chandni Chowk, Noorie (played by Smriti Biswas), a cabaret dancer from Egypt, lives a lavish lifestyle. Her mansion is adorned with candelabras, chandeliers, and other opulent ornaments. Her clothes are equally elaborate and luxurious, often 'revealing'. She pursues passions like music, riding a carriage, and entertaining multiple men. Au contraire, Laila (played by Krishna Kumari), is a modest tawaif who embodies a more Indic persona and solely dances for her lover, whom she later marries. 

The film intended to showcase the cultural and moral contrasts between traditional courtesans and cabaret dancers who were introduced in India by the British colonisers. On the one hand, the British marred the Tawaif culture in India as 'immoral', while the instillation of Westernised entertainment revealed a stark disparity.

Rise Of India's Cabaret Queen

Calcutta (now Kolkata) remained a hub for cabaret much after independence, especially in Park Street, which we continue to know as a party district. While Anglo-Indian or European women dominated the floors at high-society cabaret bars, Bengali women stayed away as the culture was viewed as 'obscene'.

However, a young girl, whose parents were refugees from Bangladesh, became interested in the performance while working as domestic help for an elite Anglo-Indian family. She was 13 years old when she accompanied them to a posh cabaret restaurant Firpo's Lido Room and was completely charmed by the dance.

That was how Arati Das became the first Indian girl to perform cabaret. She embraced the stage name Miss Shefali and started earning a salary of Rs 700 a month at Firpo’s. By the 1970s, she came to be known as the queen of Indian cabaret, enchanting high-society men and women including Bollywood film stars.

Shefali worked in the profession for over two decades, while also getting trained in other dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kathak. She also got opportunities to work in cinema, with acclaimed filmmakers like Satyajit Ray. Her captivating persona served as an inspiration for several cabaret characters in Indian films. 

Feminine Sexuality, Autonomy And Liberation 

In a society where cabaret was thriving but only for European and Anglo-Indian performers, Arati Das stepped in and created a huge shift in the landscape. Coming from an economically struggling family, her journey to become financially independent and chase her goals started at a very young age.

While women struggled with moral policing and lack of occupational rights, Das took charge in a career that was viewed as bold and unconventional for Indian women. Her determination to support herself against all unfavourable situations paved the way for other Indian women to assert their autonomy and embrace their sexuality. 

As Miss Shefali intentionally or unknowingly exposed the double standards of the patriarchal society and pushed for feminine agency, she and other cabaret performers became powerful figures in the subtle political climate of India. They reclaimed their bodies and voices, challenging the control over women's sexuality.

In her biography, Sandhya Raater Shefali, Arati Das wrote, "I knew I had the body. My chest, my waist, the limbs, my hair, in fact, my smile or the throwaway look could stop heartbeats...Yes, I used to do cabaret at hotels, but no one could touch me unless I wanted it. It was clear; watch all you want, look wherever till I am on the floor but don’t you dare touch me."

Arati Das passed away in February 2020 at the age of 77, while undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments.