In the lanes of Kalighat, Kolkata’s densely populated red-light area, a quiet revolution is brewing – armed with lights, cameras, and scripts. 

Since 2017, CAM-ON, a collective of 18 sex workers and their children, has been working on short films to confront stigma and fight discrimination. Their journey – both cinematic and personal – is now the subject of Redlight to Limelight, a feature-length documentary by filmmaker Bipuljit Basu, which recently screened at the prestigious Sheffield Documentary Festival in the UK.

Shot in a raw cinéma vérité style, using natural light and handheld cameras, the documentary follows CAM-ON’s grassroots filmmaking process: women who earn their living at night take up the camera by day, crafting stories rooted in lived experience. Their children contribute by conceptualising storylines and managing the production process. 

The film retains a raw feel that reflects the collective’s bootstrap endeavour.  

“Working on a film is like salvation for me. It gave me a new identity,” says Meena, a sex worker who handles the production work for CAM-ON. She wants to pursue films as “it feels like a change agent to leave this profession”. 

Kalighat is renowned as a major Hindu pilgrimage site where thousands gather to worship Goddess Kali. However, the area is also known for its densely populated and impoverished red-light area, where many women – trafficked from across India and neighbouring countries – have been forced into sex work.

The creative journey

The CAM-ON team is led by Rabin, whose mother was trafficked from Nepal and sold in Kalighat. In 2017, CAM-ON was joined by Rupesh, Afsara and Bilkis – children of other sex workers, who grew up in the same neighbourhood as Rabin and were interested in filmmaking.

“Rupesh is good at handling the camera. Afsara and Bilkis are talented actors. We realised we all have different sets of skills. So we thought, let’s bring these skills together and make films,” says Rabin.

They all involved their mothers and others from the community to help tell their stories. 

“We can’t afford institutional education. Besides, we often face discrimination and are judged for being children of sex workers. So we decided to make films about our own issues and mobilise our community. We realised that film is a powerful medium to reach a larger audience. Through cinema, we want to fight, despite the challenges we face, both within and from the outside,” says Rabin. 

Crew members like Nilu, Bhuri, and Meena handle everything behind the camera, while Afsara and Bilkis perform on camera. 

“My lens was focused on their creative intelligence, not the stigma surrounding sex workers,” says Basu, a social worker-turned-filmmaker. Throughout his career with different NGOs, Basu mostly worked as a media advocacy professional. His work centred on underprivileged communities and showcasing their creative side on the media landscape. 

“I had no aspirations of making films but I was astonished when I met the CAM-ON team in 2019 and saw their dedication towards cinema. They already had published three short stories on social media. They were exceptionally talented in filmmaking. Their determination inspired me to make a documentary on their journey,” says Basu.

Fighting stereotypes

Born in Kalighat, Bilkis has been fascinated by films and drama since childhood. She got married at 16 and divorced a few years later. With her talent and youthful energy, she soon became a key member of the collective, and is now the lead actor.

“The media’s portrayal of brothels in India is highly problematic. They only show our negative side and never focus on our creativity,” says the 24-year-old.

“People often have a negative impression of us,” she says. “But if you look at us without prejudice, you’ll see that our community is full of talent. We know we don’t have major support for production or promotion, but we rely on crowdfunding to keep making our films.”

Meena says that the team is currently making a film on an almost zero budget. “If we need extra funds, we turn to our customers for help,” she says. 

“These women managed logistics and took care of the shooting locations. Interestingly, they also acted as line managers and fixers for my film – because they know the area better and can handle situations in ways no one else can,” says Basu. 

He explained that without the support of the sex workers and the local community, his documentary would not have been completed.

In a landmark ruling in May 2022, the Supreme Court of India affirmed that sex work is a legitimate profession and that sex workers are entitled to dignity and equal protection under the law. Despite having equal constitutional rights, sex workers are often being treated like criminals. Society looks at them as aliens. 

“No one took us seriously until they saw our performance,” says Meena. 

The writer is a London-based independent journalist.

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