That early scene, a stunning chiaroscuro, with the camera pulling back as the newbie Gangubai learns to call out to potential punters, is a classic.

Rather than trying to eke out a new place for sex workers in conservative society, it makes the convincing case that they are already a vital fixture.

Alia Bhatt nails it with elan in this grand melodramatic spectacle by Bhansali.

Every minute of those two and a half hours is ravishingly entertaining. The songs, written by the director, bounce along energetically; the camera does much the same thing, zooming and zig-zagging in a powerhouse effort to maintain a rollercoaster pace.