Mumbai Red-Light Areas - A Look at the City History
Mumbai, the city of dreams, is famous for Bollywood, business and a long, layered history. A lesser-discussed part of that history is its red-light districts — in fact, Asia's oldest red-light area sits right here in Mumbai. Below is a brief, factual look at the city's most well-known of these areas, with Kamathipura being by far the most famous.
1. Kamathipura
Kamathipura is one of Asia's oldest red-light districts and among the largest in India. During the British era it was known as "Lal Bazaar" before taking on its present name. It lies a short distance from Mumbai Central station, and over the years much of it has been changing as redevelopment moves in.
Its story has been documented widely — most famously in the 2022 film Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Alia Bhatt, which is based on a chapter from Hussain Zaidi's book.
Books written about the area
- Kamathipura by Sudhir Jadhav (Marathi)
- Dark Life of Kamathipura by L. B. Thapa
- Cages: Love and Vengeance in a Red-light District by Aabid Surti
- Mafia Queens of Mumbai by Hussain Zaidi
2. Pila House
Pila House takes its name from "Play House" — it was marked out as an entertainment district by the British in 1857. Located in the eastern part of Grant Road in South Mumbai, the area gradually shifted from theatres and performance halls into a smaller red-light pocket over the decades.
3. Falkland Road
Falkland Road, near Grant Road station, is one of Mumbai's older and more infamous lanes associated with the trade. It is historically known for its distinctive cage-like wooden buildings. Like much of the district, it has shrunk considerably in recent years as the city has redeveloped.
4. Foras Road
Foras Road sits close to Kamathipura and Grant Road and has long been counted as part of the same historic red-light belt in South Mumbai.
5. Congress House
Congress House, in the Girgaon area of South Mumbai, is another locality historically linked to the city's red-light network and its old dance-bar culture.
6. Grant Road
Grant Road, close to both Kamathipura and Falkland Road, is one of the most historically significant parts of this belt and a key landmark for the surrounding areas.
Other Areas Over the Years
Beyond the historic South Mumbai belt, smaller pockets of such activity have been reported in suburban areas like Garib Nagar and parts of the western and central suburbs at different times. Most of these are far less prominent than the long-established districts above, and many have faded as neighbourhoods have changed.
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