’’I had a choice between Truth and Aesthetics. I chose Truth, because Truth is Pure.’’ ---says Shekar Kapur on the story of this movie ....To insist that the film tells the Truth is of the utmost commercial (and critical) importance to him. Again and again, we are assured, in interviews, in reviews, and eventually in writing on the screen before the film begins. ’’This is a True Story.’’....If it was in books even then it would have been hard to credit...as it is the TRUE story of a Indian Bandit Queen...true story how shall one decide ??..Shekhar Kapur says that the film is based on Mala Sen’s book - India’s Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi. The book reconstructs the story, using interviews, newspaper reports, meetings with Phoolan Devi and extracts from Phoolan’s written account, smuggled out of prison by her visitors, a few pages at a time
What does Shekhar Kapur mean when he says the film is based on Mala Sen’s book? How has he decided which version of which event is ’’True’’ ? On what basis has he made these choices?
Does he have the need to meet the central character of the movie in real does it matter to him who the lady is in real...??..is she raped ?? how she became a gangster ??..if all low caste woman in our urban area become gangsters after being snubbed ..we would have been teemed with female gangsters..so wat is so special of Phoolan Devi is the question which makes run the movie and the central strength of the movie.
Bandit Queen -the film, does not make a case against Rape. It makes its case against the Rape of nice (read moral), women. (Never mind the rest of us that aren’t ’’nice’’) .
{?????The film is consistently?????} it’s on the lookout, like a worried hen - saving Phoolan Devi from herself. Meanwhile we, the audience, are herded along, like so much trusting cattle. We cannot argue, (because Truth is Pure. And you can’t mess With that)...and I feel like a trash can to suit such thoughts ..According to Shekhar Kapur’s film, every landmark - every decison, every turning-point in Phoolan Devi’s life, starting with how she became a dacoit in the first place, has to do with having been raped, or avenging rape...Rape is the central plot in his version and the low caste adding pepper to salt less thought..
Flow
The film opens with a pre-credit sequence of Phoolan Devi the child being married off to an older man who takes her away to his village where he rapes her, and she eventually runs away. We see her next as a young girl being sexually abused bv Thakur louts in her village . When she protests, she is publicly humiliated, externed from the village, and when she returns to the village, ends up in prison. Here too she is raped and beaten, and eventually released on bail. Soon after her release, she is carried away bv dacoits. She has in effect become a criminal who has jumped bail. And so has little choice but to embark on a life in the ravines.
’’... Phoolan screamed, striking out at him, but he was too strong. Holding her down, the stranger raped her. They came in one by one after that. Tall, silent Thakur men -- and raped her until Phoolan lost consciousness. For the next three weeks Phoolan was raped several times a night, and she submitted silently turning her face to the wall... she lost all sense of time... a loud voice summoned her outside. Sri Ram ordered Phoolan to fetch water from the well. When she refused, he ripped off her clothes and kicked her savagely...at last she limped to the well while her tormentors laughed and spat at her. The naked girl was dragged back to the hut and raped again.’’
Shekhar Kapur has made an request to the Censor Board to allow the film through without a single cut. He claims that the Film, as a work of Art, is a whole, if it were censored it wouldn’t be the same film...What crap??
What about the Life that he has fashioned his Art from?
He has a completelv different set of rules for that.
Final word
When it comes to getting bums on seats, hysterectomy just doesn’t measure up to rape..and it shuns ur ears to snub ur self in future of such flicks BEWARE !!!
Apart that the way the role was handled is world class..and other stuff is okie dokie I dontrecommend this film at all for the sorta central role !
Screenplay by Mala Sen..cant believe na she depicts one thing in her book and some thing for the screen (just for sake of commercial status...)
Phoolan Devi is portrayed by Seema Biswas.
Not the least lets say a shoooo to such feelings which give a negative impact on the already wrecked life of individuals ..live n let live folks !!