Sex workers have been subjected to a lot of discrimination and struggle due to the social stigma that is often associated with their work. This discrimination has often led to hate crimes and violence against sex workers. In an effort to condemn these acts of hatred, every year, December 17 is observed as International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This day is widely observed by not just sex workers but also human rights activists, advocates and allies of sex workers. The celebration of International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers began as a day to condemn the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington and evolved into an international event. On this day, people often open conversations on the importance of the rights of sex workers across the world, and the need to end the hate and violence that they are subjected to. While on this topic, we cannot help but mention the roles of movies, both in Bollywood and Hollywood that have portrayed sex-workers and their struggles beautifully. And, as we observe International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers 2019, here are some of the most memorable portrayals of sex workers in movies. From India to Canada, Prostitution Rules Across the World. 

Audrey Hepburn - "Breakfast at Tiffany’s"

We cannot talk about the movies with sex-workers as crucial characters, without mentioning Audrey Hepburn. The charming actress played the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and left us all impressed with her stellar portrayal of the role. She nailed the innocence of a young sex-worker and was even nominated for the Academy Awards for this role!

Kareena Kapoor- "Chameli" 

Kareena Kapoor truly proved her knack for acting with this classic movie. This 2003-release brought out the bold side of Kareena Kapoor who portrayed the naive but smart sex-worker with a don’t-give-a-damn attitude. Kareena was applauded by critics and fans alike for her beautiful adaptation of the character.

Julia Roberts - "Pretty Woman"

Julia Roberts showed the struggles, disrespect and sheer disregard that sex-workers were subjected to in this classic movie. While the movie turned into a romantic-comedy, Roberts’ character managed to leave a mark and bring out the core issues that sex-workers in the US often faced.

Tabu - "Chandni Bar"

Tabu dons the versatility and charm to pick any character and morph into the role to perfection. In Chandni Bar, the actress did just that and left millions in awe. The movie, which captures the life of a troubled sex-worker who is forced into the profession to sustain her family, humanised the people in the profession to many haters.

Manisha Koirala - "Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish"

There are a lot of things that make Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish a beautiful movie - from its portrayal of an openly gay man, who is trying to restart his life with nothing, to the middle-aged sex worker who is struggling to compete with younger women to garner some business. This critically acclaimed movie has been garnering all the applause since its recent release on Netflix. The matured character arcs, beautiful storytelling and heart-warming lyrics all bring out a different perspective on love and life for many. While there are of course some lows in the film, which was made in the early 2000s, the portrayal of a sex-worker by Manisha Koirala is bound to win your hearts.

There are various opinions and stands that people have on sex-workers. However, the violence that the people who take this path may be subjugated to is never okay. We hope that these movies try to bring out the fact that, at the end of the day, we need to consider and respect people and their individual stories, instead of compelling our versions on them. And we hope this message of co-existence and peace is promoted this International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2019 08:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).