Tawaif

Historically, a tawaif was a courtesan of the Muslim noble classes in South Asia, particularly during the Mughal era. They were known to be very knowledgable in North Indian forms of singing, dance (usualy kathak), and Urdu poetry.

The tawaif culture was made famous by the Indian films Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan.

Today, the term is almost synonymous with prostitute.