bar dancer+autobiography
Bar girl's autobiography to be released
MUMBAI: Nearly three years after the Maharashtra Government banned the dance bars in the state, a book 'Bar-Bala' penned by a former bar dancer would be released on April 11 – in which she narrates the ups and downs of her life.
The writer, Vaishali Haldankar, now wants to become a lawyer and help victimized women. "It is the first-ever autobiography written by a bar singer or dancer anywhere in the world," according to Varsha Kale, the Honorary President of Bharatiya Bargirls' Union.
Kale has written the preface of the book which is published by Pune-based Mehta Publishing House.
Vaishali worked for about 16 years as singer in the various (around 80) liquor, orchestra and dance bars in Maharashtra and abroad. She has worked in all types of bars and her autobiography throw light on her experience of working as bar singer. One can also construct history of bars between 1989 and 2005 while reading personal story of Vaishali.
Unlike majority of the bargirls, Vaishali comes from Maharashtrian background and middle class. Her father and mother both were 'Sangeet Visharada'. Her father was honoured as 'Pandit' and used to run music school situated in a prime locality of Dadar.
Twist came in her life with her sexual abuse by neighbour during her childhood. She got married at the age of 14 and gave birth to two children at very early age. This marriage and subsequent events took her to slums and eventually to bars. Her life in bars led her into different relationships with customers and colleagues and broke her marriage in the process.
However, break-up of her serious relationship with one notorious gangster, who was also her customer, brought another twist in her life. Emotionally she always found herself in conflict with money and social status. This conflict and her broken relationship led her to search and she found solace in Osho Ashram of Rajneesh. While she continued singing in the bars, she also became Sanyasi of Osho. However, this new identity did not bring any change in her stigmatised status as a 'barwali'. She continued to be victim of sexual abuse and rapes. Her alcoholism increased and duality in her life created turmoil in her relationship with her children, who were now adult men.
Vaishali came in the contact of Varsha Kale while she was organising bargirls union. Varsha Kale found her story unique and interesting and she was pursuing Vaishali to write it down. She agreed to write after two years of persuasion. Writing her own story in itself was important process and it brought huge change in Vaishali. Now Vaishali has left bars and she has taken to education.
MUMBAI: Nearly three years after the Maharashtra Government banned the dance bars in the state, a book 'Bar-Bala' penned by a former bar dancer would be released on April 11 – in which she narrates the ups and downs of her life.
The writer, Vaishali Haldankar, now wants to become a lawyer and help victimized women. "It is the first-ever autobiography written by a bar singer or dancer anywhere in the world," according to Varsha Kale, the Honorary President of Bharatiya Bargirls' Union.
Kale has written the preface of the book which is published by Pune-based Mehta Publishing House.
Vaishali worked for about 16 years as singer in the various (around 80) liquor, orchestra and dance bars in Maharashtra and abroad. She has worked in all types of bars and her autobiography throw light on her experience of working as bar singer. One can also construct history of bars between 1989 and 2005 while reading personal story of Vaishali.
Unlike majority of the bargirls, Vaishali comes from Maharashtrian background and middle class. Her father and mother both were 'Sangeet Visharada'. Her father was honoured as 'Pandit' and used to run music school situated in a prime locality of Dadar.
Twist came in her life with her sexual abuse by neighbour during her childhood. She got married at the age of 14 and gave birth to two children at very early age. This marriage and subsequent events took her to slums and eventually to bars. Her life in bars led her into different relationships with customers and colleagues and broke her marriage in the process.
However, break-up of her serious relationship with one notorious gangster, who was also her customer, brought another twist in her life. Emotionally she always found herself in conflict with money and social status. This conflict and her broken relationship led her to search and she found solace in Osho Ashram of Rajneesh. While she continued singing in the bars, she also became Sanyasi of Osho. However, this new identity did not bring any change in her stigmatised status as a 'barwali'. She continued to be victim of sexual abuse and rapes. Her alcoholism increased and duality in her life created turmoil in her relationship with her children, who were now adult men.
Vaishali came in the contact of Varsha Kale while she was organising bargirls union. Varsha Kale found her story unique and interesting and she was pursuing Vaishali to write it down. She agreed to write after two years of persuasion. Writing her own story in itself was important process and it brought huge change in Vaishali. Now Vaishali has left bars and she has taken to education.
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