How cabaret dancer Aartidas, aka Miss Shefali, became a feminist icon

In the 1954 film Chandni Chowk, Noorie, played by Smriti Biswas, is an Egyptian cabaret dancer living a lavish lifestyle. Her mansion is decorated with candelabras, chandeliers, and other opulent ornaments. Her clothes are equally elaborate and luxurious, often revealing. She indulges in passions such as music, riding a horse carriage, and entertaining multiple men.

The film highlights the cultural and moral contrasts between traditional courtesans and cabaret dancers introduced to India by British colonizers. While the British labeled the tawaif culture in India as ‘immoral,’ the introduction of Westernized entertainment showcased a significant disparity. Calcutta (now Kolkata) remained a hub for cabaret long after independence, especially in Park Street, which is still known as a party district.

As the pioneering Indian cabaret performer, Arati Das, also known as Miss Shefali, intentionally or unknowingly exposed the double standards of patriarchal society and pushed for feminine agency. She and other cabaret performers reclaimed their bodies and voices, challenging societal control over women’s sexuality.

Arati Das began her career in the 1960s and quickly rose to fame, performing in renowned venues across Kolkata. Her bold performances and unapologetic embrace of cabaret dance set her apart in a society that often stigmatized such forms of entertainment. By asserting her presence in a male-dominated space, she challenged the societal norms that sought to control and dictate women’s roles and behaviors.

Arati Das passed away in February 2020 at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy as a trailblazer who defied societal norms and championed feminine agency in the world of Indian cabaret.

Re-reported from the article originally published in She the people news.