"Banaras" A Movie on Red-Light Area of Banaras, Based on Novel by Munshi Premchand Based On Prostitution In India. br br Synopsis: banaras is a tale of an unhappy housewife who is beguiled away from the path of domestic virtue into becoming a courtesan. She then reforms herself and atones by serving as the manager of an orphanage for the young daughters of courtesans, the seva-sadan of the Hindi title.br br The setting is in the orthodox Hindu religious city of Varanasi, around the turn of the 20th century. The British Raj had introduced Local self-government in India to municipalities, in some cities. The main protagonist is a Brahmin lady named Suman who is married into a loveless union, because of her family's social and financial obligations. She leaves this marriage to become a courtesan, in the "kothas" of the city. In a twist to the tale, the local municipal corporation, a feature of the then-modernising India, orders these to be relocated outside the city, for social morality. Suman finds her social position is causing problems to her sister's marriage. She then joins to serve a home for widows, and teach them religion. When this becomes untenable — as also a stay with her sister who is married to a former admirer — Suman finally joins as a teacher, in a home that houses the children of former courtesans. The home is named Seva Sadan (the house of service), from which the title of the novel seems to be derived.br br Categories: 1919 novels,1924 novels, Novels adapted into films, Urdu literature, Indian novels, Hindi-language novels, Urdu-language novels, Novels set in Varanasi, Works by Premchand, Film about women, British India in fiction, Prostitution in India, Red Light Area, Flesh Tradebr br Star Cast:Om Puri,Jeet R.Goswami,Reshmi Ghosh,Yashpal Sharma, Rajeshwari Sachdev,Virendra Saxena,Savita Prabhune,Rekha Sahaye, Upasana Singh,Swapna Dhoble,Rajive Verma,br Director:Ajay Mehra Producer: A.K.