बैंडिट क्वीन

The true story of Phoolan Devi who became a national hero in India because she fought for her rights as a woman but in a violent manner. I was surprised to see a powerful film with strong images come out of India instead of the Bollywood art trash classics they churn out.

"Bandit Queen" is the true story of the legendary Phoolan Devi, who was something like Robin Hood of India. While the authorities persecuted her, the media made her famous. In order to avoid the death penalty in the case of capture, in 1983, she surrendered to the authorities, but after eleven years in prison she ran for parliament. She was assassinated in 2001.

The film has a problem with the scenario, some parts are false and in some places it seems hastily and piled up. In all other respects it is greatly made, but quite heavy and difficult.

8/10

It may interest people to know that this film was made without any recourse to Phoolan Devi herself and, when she did finally see parts of it, was so enraged that she announced that the film was not to be shown in India or she would cover herself in petrol and set fire to herself. I do not know whether it was shown at all or not, but given her standing at the time as a rising politician, I doubt it. Since then, I saw a report that she has been ousted from office and charged with further crimes from her Dacoit days, and has gone into hiding as a result.

Her own concerns aside, this is an excellent film, made all the more so by its refreshingly brutal approach; none of the rose-tinted melodrama one might expect from a typical indian film. It should be stressed that concerns about how feminist the film's messages really are and the like are essentially irrelevant: it's a true story. Her misgivings are, it seems, not with what is depicted but with the way in which the film depicts her.

I think that the movie was really good. Subject, acting and Nusrat Fateh ALi Khan's music were marvellous. Although the director has succeeded in showing the status of women in rural areas and how they suffer at the hands of male-dominated culture, he has neglected Phoolan's character a bit and has focussed more on the violence faced by her.

Bandit Queen is a difficult film to go through. In the famous world of Bollywood's song and dance, this biographical feature is certainly a breath of fresh air in terms of storytelling and honest filmmaking. Shakhar Kapur handles the subject with great sensitivity and visible empathy towards the main character of Phoolan Devi, whose life story is impossible to even listen to. What this woman had to endure is beyond imagination and is harrowing to watch, but her survival is an inspiring triumph. Bandit Queen is disturbingly realistic, and I can totally understand those who don't like it, because we do not watch films to see reality, but rather to escape it. The movie is by no means entertaining, the story is bitter and excruciating, but there are many lessons one can learn from watching it and, at the very least, realise how privileged most of us are. The film is excellently acted, with Seema Biswas proving her mettle as an actor of extraordinary talent and compassion. Her portrayal is a world-class act on a level of its own, and she totally immerses herself in this most difficult role and life story. May no person ever have to go through what this woman went through to justify the making of a notable biopic of this sort. Kudos to Kapur for an impressive effort. Watch it if you can, expect zero entertainment and just treat it the way you treat documentaries. You might be impressed, if not rewarded.