Reclaiming dignity: a recognition-based reading of Gangubai Kathiawadi
This study analyzes Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi through the lens of Axel Honneth's recognition theory, focusing on the efforts to achieve dignity through a prestigious profession. While sex workers in India are often victims of shame and exclusion, the film serves as...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2025
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/26596/1/Gema%20Online_25_4_4.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/26596/ https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1866 |
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| Summary: | This study analyzes Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi through the lens of Axel
Honneth's recognition theory, focusing on the efforts to achieve dignity through a prestigious
profession. While sex workers in India are often victims of shame and exclusion, the film serves
as a narrative counter depicting how Gangubai managed to turn stigma into empowerment. This
study employs qualitative content analysis methods to examine scenes and dialogues, exploring
how Gangubai navigates three domains: love, human rights, and solidarity. The findings of the
study show that this degree is achieved by assuming the role of a mother figure in her community,
by demanding legal and political recognition for sex workers, and by earning social esteem as a
respected leader. By making dignity a central theme, the study moves beyond conventional
discussions of marginalization and stigma by offering a new look at how Bollywood films
reimagine sex workers as agents of empowerment and justice. This analysis places Gangubai
Kathiawadi as a significant cultural text that redefines womanhood and advocates for the
recognition of marginalized identities. |
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