Showgirls of Pakistan

Mujra is a dance form that emerged during the Mughal empire, practiced by courtesans for the elite classes of Northern India.^{[citation needed]} The documentary explores the prejudice, censorship, and misogynistic climate in which Mujra dancers work in modern-day Punjab, Pakistan.^[1][3]

The soundtrack of the film is composed of old melodies of Lollywood films from the 1960s and 1970s.^[4]

Showgirls of Pakistan revolves around the lives of three performers, Afreen Khan, Uzma Khan, and Reema Jaan. Afreen's story follows her dancing in Lahore's public theaters. She dances on a dangerous platform where performers are beaten, harassed, kidnapped, or shot. Uzma performs in rural private parties and dance bars in Dubai. Finally, veteran dancer Reema, a transgender woman or khawaja sira, had a promising dancing career on stage but now struggles to find work.^[5][6][7][8]

The film was premiered in the IDFA Competition 2020.^[5] It was selected by VICE for its non-fiction collection The Short List, the film is also available on their YouTube channel.^[2][9]

The film was positively reviewed by Foreign Policy,^[1] Dawn,^[8] Mint,^[2] and Business Doc Europe.^[7]