Lavish sets featuring ornate mirrors, heavy chandeliers, velvet curtains, and traditional floor seating (gaddi) for an elite audience.
That said, you might be referring to one of these possibilities: mujra movie
One of the earliest and most visually stunning examples is Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa (1957). While not exclusively about a courtesan, the character of Gulabo, a sex worker with a heart of gold, highlights how cinema began shifting its gaze toward marginalized women. However, the true pinnacle of the genre arrived with Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), where the character of Zohrabai, played by Rekha, delivers some of the most memorable musical performances in cinema history, symbolizing selfless love and existential loneliness. The aesthetic blueprint for the genre includes: However, the true pinnacle of the genre arrived
Several films stand out as monumental achievements in the history of the mujra movie, celebrated for their music, choreography, and narrative depth. 1. Pakeezah (1972) Pakeezah (1972) With the decline of the Mughal
With the decline of the Mughal Empire and the advent of British colonial rule, the status of the tawaifs was systematically dismantled. The colonial authorities, failing to understand the cultural and artistic nuances of the kotha tradition, misclassified courtesans under anti-prostitution laws. This structural shift forced the art form into the margins of society. However, when the South Asian film industry emerged in the 20th century, filmmakers recognized the dramatic, musical, and visual potential of this lost courtly world, giving birth to the golden age of the cinematic mujra. The Golden Era of Cinematic Mujras
2013