One of Bollywood's most popular ways to portray the hard, gritty side of life is to make the heroine a streetwalker.

Quite a few actresses have opted for a change of image from glamdolls to 'actresses of repute' by playing the hardened sex worker.

Of course, this is not a recent feature. Take Meena Kumari in Pakeezah, Vyjayanthimala in Devdas or Rekha in Umrao Jaan.

More recently, it was Kareena Kapoor who succumbed to the lure of the streets in Sudhir Mishra's Chameli, which opens January 9.

rediff.com takes a look at some reel-life courtesans.

Text: Ronjita Kulkarni
Design: Uday Kuckian

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