Bandit Queen

Plot synopsis:
The film opens in the summer of 1968 at a small village in Uttar Pradesh. Phoolan is married to a twenty-something fellow called Puttilal (Aditya Shrivastava). Though child marriages are customary during that time, Phoolan's mother Moola (Savitri Raekwar) objects to the timing of the match. Phoolan's aging father Devideen (Ram Charan Nirmalker) conforming to his culture, regrettably disagrees, and Phoolan is sent off with Puttilal.
Phoolan is exposed to some sexual and exploitative abuses, including the caste system. (Phoolan's family as well as Puttilal's family belong to the lower ranked Mallah sub caste; the higher ranked Thakur caste takes the lead in social and political situations.) Puttilal is physically and sexually abusive, and Phoolan eventually runs away and returns home. As Phoolan grows older, she faces incidents of (non-consensual) fondling and groping from the Thakur men (whose parents make up the panchayat or village government). At the next town meeting, the panchayat wield their patriarchal authority to banish Phoolan from the village, since she will not consent to the sexual advances of the higher caste males, who treat her like sub-human chattel.
Accordingly, Phoolan lives with her cousin Kailash (Saurabh Shukla). En route to another village, she encounters a troop of dakus (bandits) of the Babu Gujjar gang, led by Vikram Mallah Mastana (Nirmal Pandey). Phoolan stays with Kailash for a while, but is eventually compelled to leave. Angry and hopeless, Phoolan goes to the local police to try to have her ban lifted, but she is beaten, molested, and arrested by the police, who rape her while in custody. The Thakurs put up bail and have her released. But, unknown to her, the bail is a bribe (paid, through the police, to Babu Gujjar's gang), and Babu Gujjar arrives to collect his prize.
In May 1979, Phoolan is abducted by Babu Gujjar (Anirudh Agarwal). Gujjar is a physically imposing man and a ruthless, predatory mercenary. Although Gujjar's lieutenant Vikram is sympathetic towards Phoolan, Gujjar indiscriminately brutalizes and humiliates her, until one day Vikram catches him raping her (yet again) and shoots him in the head. Vikram takes over the gang, and his empathy for Phoolan eventually grows into a mutually respectful mature adult relationship. Around this time, Phoolan revisits her former husband Puttilal, and with Vikram's help, abducts him and exacts her justice for his rape and abuse, beating him up. She shares her closure with Vikram.
All goes well until Thakur Shri Ram (Govind Namdeo) is released from prison. Thakur Shri Ram is the real gang leader (boss of the erstwhile Gujjar). Shri Ram returns to his gang and while Vikram receives him with respect, Shri Ram bristles at Vikram's egalitarian leadership style and covets Phoolan. In August 1980, Shri Ram arranges to have Vikram assassinated, and abducts Phoolan, bringing her to the village of Behmai. Phoolan is repeatedly raped and beaten by Shri Ram and by the rest of the gang members, as punishment for her "disrespect" for his previous advances, and for her audacity at being an equal. The stunning and disturbing final humiliation and punishment is that she is stripped, paraded around Behmai, beaten and sent to fetch water from the well (in full view of the village).
A severely traumatised Phoolan returns to her cousin Kailash. She recovers gradually, and seeks out Man Singh (Manoj Bajpai), an old friend of Vikram Mallah. Man Singh brings her to another large gang, led by Baba Mustakim (Rajesh Vivek). She relates her history to Baba and asks him for some men and weapons to form a gang. Baba Mustakim agrees, and Man Singh and Phoolan become the leaders for the new gang.
Phoolan leads her new gang with courage, generosity, humility and shrewdness. Her stockpile and her legend grows. She becomes known as Phoolan Devi, the bandit queen. In February 1981, Baba Mustakim informs her of a large wedding in Behmai, with Thakur Shri Ram in attendance. As Phoolan departs, Baba Mustakim warns her to remain low key. Phoolan attacks the wedding party and her gang exacts revenge from the entire Thakur clan of Behmai. They round up the men and beat them up. Many of the men are finally shot. This act of vengeance brings her to the attention of the national law enforcement authorities (in New Delhi). The top police officials now begin a massive manhunt for Phoolan, and Thakur Shri Ram relishes the opportunity to come to their aid.
The manhunt claims many lives in Phoolan's gang. They are ultimately forced to hide out in the rugged ravines of Chambal without any food or water. Phoolan evaluates her options and decides to surrender. Her terms are to have her remaining mates protected and provided for (the women and children in particular). The film ends with Phoolan's surrender in February 1983. The end credits indicate that all the charges against her were withdrawn (including the charges of murder at Behmai), and that she was released in 1994.

Tags: cult, revenge, violence

Review:
Phoolan Devi (played by Seema Biswas) is sold into marriage at 11 and is repeatedly abused from then onwards because she is a woman.
She is partially liberated by Vikram Mallah (Nirmal Pandey), one of the bandits she is taken in by and eventually rises to lead the group, extracting vicious revenge on upper-cast men in repayment for what they had done to her.The film is a fascinating account of the life of Phoolan Devi who was assassinated in September 2001.
The film follows from rise (if you can call it that) from abused child to Bandit Queen.
It's sad that worldwide women are treated as second-class citizens, often subject to this type of terrible abuse as a matter of daily life - even sadder that many religions are interpreted to allow it.Where the film is weak is the depiction of the two sets of violence - violence against Phoolan is shown as horrible and unforgivable as it should be, however her acts of retaliation are filmed with a more artistic camera and you get the feeling that we are meant to take it that these acts of violence are less horrible because they are revenge attacks.
Seema Biswas is excellent as Phoolan Devi, she convinces throughout the film.
The subject matter must have been very difficult to act through but she is without a flaw in the lead - the only problem being the slightly sympathetic edge towards her acts of revenge that the film gives.The film is horrible viewing and yet inspiring that one woman could survive through such events in such a society.
Phoolan lived with things that the vast majority of us will ever imagine, she rose up against amazing odds to marry above her caste and be elected to the Indian Parliament.
Worth watching to help you be aware of the rest of the world and to ensure that you keep yourself kind towards others in all situations.Long live Phoolan Devi.
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.
The film, the cast, and Shekhar Kapoor, deserve accolades for the breakthrough effort.The plot is not very different from a typical revenge drama made in various forms in India.
Phoolan Devi didn't live very long after being released from prison in 1994.The film scores on several counts.
Or maybe I felt that because I have read Mala Sen's book, which is a more detailed and better, though obviously not as shocking as the visual, account of Phoolan Devi's travails, and which is purported to be one of the main sources for the film.There are some factual ambiguities too.
It would have been nice to show the Chief Minister to have some resemblance to Arjun Singh, who many remember was the CM of Madhya Pradesh then.But these are small chinks in this eminently well-made movie, a rare gem to come out from the mainstream Indian film industry, made by a man who before this was known best for the ultimate masala movie of the late 80s - Mr India..
Phoolan Devi, Bandit Queen.
"Bandit Queen" is a controversial and groundbreaking Indian film (co-produced by Great Britain's "Channel Four") telling the real-life story of Phoolan Devi (Seema Biswas, excellent), a low-caste woman given to a husband at age 11 who runs away from him, is constantly violated by upper-caste males, until pairing with a handsome outlaw, Vikram Mallah (Nirmal Pandey), who shows her some respect and invites her to join his gang.
Devi became a mythical national figure in her own lifetime (she had just been released from an 11-year prison term when the movie came out, and was murdered in 2001), hailed as "The Bandit Queen" or "Queen of the Ravines".
Although at first Devi took legal action to ban the movie's exhibition in India (and it was actually banned for some time - after all, this is no Bollywood fantasy), she eventually changed her mind (plus, Channel Four paid her $60,000...).A lot has been said about the accuracy of everything portrayed on screen ("My life was much harder", Devi would have said after the first time she saw the movie).
Just like he would do in 1998's successful "Elizabeth", Shekhar Kapur knows how to turn a larger than life, actual trajectory in a huge spectacle - but still keeping the essence of its core.
Kapur might have been a high-caste, city-bred man trying to portray the life of a brave and rebellious low-caste woman fighting for her survival - in a way that no other woman in her time had done, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know or doesn't have the right to try to depict this reality he doesn't directly belong to.
"The Bandit Queen" is a powerful and repugnant portrayal of a modern real-life Indian outlaw, Phoolan Devi ("Goddess of Flowers").
The movie opens at the point at which the 11 year-old Phoolan is sold as a bride to a middle-aged man.
The marital rape and abuse that follows drives her away and eventually, as an outcast, into a life of brigandage.What I found most striking in this movie is that it does not portray the heroine merely as a "wronged woman" but as a woman with deep psychological problems -- to me she frequently appeared to be downright psychotic.
It's a true story (the real-life Phoolan Devi went on to marry above her caste and became the first Untouchable to serve in the Indian Parliament) but it's a story without a happy ending..
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..
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..
Phoolan had no role model's to base her actions on, yet was able to bring about very necessary change to a land that was living in darkness when it comes to female treatment.
Irrespective of the accuracy of facts, Bandit Queen is a true story, its true because the themes it deals with hold as much truth today as they did way back in 1994.
Keeping the subjectivity aside, there is no doubt that Phoolan's character from a young girl of 8, who is married off by her father to clear a debt(pun intended), to a gang leader who goes on to become a leader of the lower caste, has evolved into a champion in her own right.
Her portrayal is so powerful that the viewer is even willing to forgive her for a massacre.I can understand if the western audience is not able to appreciate this masterpiece, Bandit Queen needs to be 'studied' in the Indian context, and not just checked out in stereotypes.
I may not be able to sell it on its universal appeal but its certainly a must watch for the Indian audience, its a shame that the movie had a delayed, overtly censored release in India.Bandit Queen is the story of a woman who fought against two odds in India, being a woman and that too a lower caste, her rebellious nature and inability to just give in caused her the most horrible experiences in life, which only went on to strengthen her into a self proclaimed goddess.
I saw the film for the first time after the real Phoolan, was gunned down in New Delhi and had served several years as an elected Member of Parliament in India.
The so-called "untouchables" have been elected to the Indian Parliament for decades in reserved constituencies.While Shekhar Kapur as a director is a hero to many India, because he made commercially accepted international films---"Bandit Queen" and "Elizabeth" (and a tolerable kiddie movie called "Mister India", which was accepted by the average Indian audiences)---and even got Oscar nominations for Elizabeth, I do not place him as a top notch film director from India.
Subtlety, finesse, charm are not easy to find in his films--melodrama brims in them.His idea of using Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's vocal rendering of the song in the early parts of the film, was perhaps his single major achievement on the undistinguished sound track of "Bandit Queen".
If you are looking for a good living Indian film director who makes realistic cinema of international quality--it is not Shekhar Kapur's movies you should see; it is the later works of three Indian film-makers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, and Girish Karnad and of course Muzaffar Ali's "Umrao Jaan".
But "Bandit Queen" will remain a great subject awaiting an accomplished director to deal with it..
As powerful as the true story of Phoolan is, this book this film is based on came out before she herself was released from Prison and had the chance to tell it.
Bandit Queen is a difficult film to go through.
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.
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.
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.
Based on the true story of a woman who rose from poverty and child abuse to become a respected outlaw and folk hero, 'Bandit Queen' tells a fascinating slice of an Indian history, even if Phoolan Devi herself (whose life is depicted) has disputed the film's accuracy.
Set during the 1970s and 1980s, the antiquated values of villages where Devi grew up are striking, with child marriages a norm and women viewed as second class citizens, and the film has much power as a tale of overcoming circumstance.
The film is, however, also incredibly slow- moving and while there are some well-handled abuse and torture scenes early on, it is only in the second half of the film that the story really becomes juicy with Devi deciding to fight back and become her own warrior.
The swinging of a door open and closed is all that the filmmakers need here to convey the horrors of gang rape and the way the camera stays very much at a distance avoids a scene in which she is stripped turning exploitative.
Having seen a number of Bandit movies, this one offered the true story of 'Phoolan Devi' but there was not a lot of new content.
There are minimal scenes of Phoolan's bandit action too.
'Bandit Queen' was one of Shekhar Kapur's final films before he ventured into Hollywood.
Due to its subject matter and very graphic portrayal of rape and humiliation it was considered to be one of the most controversial Indian films and was even banned in the country.
The film tells the story of Phoolan Devi in her earlier years (before she became a politician).
Even though the film is said to be based on accounts written by Devi, the Bandit Queen herself was disappointed by the film and stated that it was riddled with inaccuracies.Like most of Kapur's movies, the execution is first rate.
It has me wondering why she hasn't received more of such meaty roles.I can't comment on how much of it is based on what really happened but 'Bandit Queen' is an exceptionally well made film that tells a harrowing story of a crucial figure..
This movie is everything but the true story of Phoolan Devi.
Director Shekhar Kapoor's claims are countered by the fact that he made the entire movie without even once meeting Phoolan Devi, on whose life this movie is supposed to be based!
The film wastes the opportunity of sensitizing the society of the plight of low-caste women in the Indian society and ends up as a stereotype portraying Phoolan Devi as an angry woman whose sole motivation is revenge.
Although I've only seen two films he's directed, I feel fairly confident in saying that Shekhar Kapur is a "big hammer" kind of craftsman.
However, just as I could appreciate Elizabeth for the wonderful performances, I found much to enjoy in Bandit Queen.Bandit Queen tells the true story of Phoolan Devi who, with the help of the media, gained a Robin Hood-esque notoriety in a small province of India in the 1980s.
When Vikram kills the head bandit for raping her, Phoolan Devi gains full stature as a member of the Bandits until their Thakur head is released and all heck breaks loose.
The second half of the film is a vengeance drama, as Phoolan leads a mini-revolution against the Thakurs until she gains the attention of India's national government and she's arrested.
Just as Phoolan Devi will always be an outcast because she's a woman, she will always be an outcast because she's of a lower caste.
However, while we're shown repeated scenes of Devi's torture, we really see very little of the Bandit Queen in action.
It shows Phoolan to be a wonderful, chaste woman who was always victimized and is in that way a typical bollywood portrayal of a wronged woman who rises from the ashes of her humiliation to wreck vengeance on those that wronged herBesides, I am not entirely convinced about making a movie about a real, living person who has been through hell and is forced to relive it just because a movie director thinks it is a story worth telling.
"Bandit Queen" tells the story of Phoolan Devi (circa 1970ish), a lower caste woman from the boonies of northern India who was abused and mistreated by a male dominated misogynistic culture, rebelled, turned outlaw, and became a folk hero of sorts in her own time.
Given what in the grand scheme of cinema is very poor production value and the fact it was made prior to Phoolan Devi's last years and ultimate murder, "Bandit Queen" is a good film to pass over.
Director Shekhar Kapur has created a gem in Bandit Queen.Starring Seema Biswas who has also been in another classic bollywood flick, Company 2002.Also starring Nirmal Pandey.Also starring Rajesh Vivek.Also starring Raghuvir Yadav who has also been in another classic bollywood flick, Salaam Bombay!
'Bandit Queen' is an art-house update of the old 70s exploitation movies, in which the chief focus is on female discomfiture is justified by a pseudo-feminist revenge-plot.
Having plumbed the lowest depths there are, Devi takes the blood-splattered road of vengeance, turning torture and massacre into a media-fuelled spectacle.When the director of 'Queen' later went on to make a film about Tudor-era royal conspiracies ('Elizabeth'), many were surprised because of the gaping differences in subject matter, but Kapur imposes his own fetish on the two movies: both feature outsider-women attempting to assert power in rigid male-dominated hierarchies; both emphasise the importance of imperial rule, ritual and public spectacle in these societies, and the necessary reuninciation of sexuality and 'normal' femininity of strong women.
The process of realising just how lacking in any sort of grace or overall substance Shekhar Kapur's 1994 film Bandit Queen actually has comes at us as quite a surprise; the film, a grubby little piece dressed up (what with its being in a foreign language, arriving with British funding as well as the cinematic pretenses it purveys throughout) is actually little more than a troublesome rape-'n'-revenge movie duly arriving with a less than subtle feminist tract, is often a trite and dull affair.
Amidst all the troublesome content, Kapur's decision to round things off with an attempt to create some sort of Gandhi-esque figure out of its lead is just deeply problematic in itself.The film covers a young woman from the ages of eleven to around twenty five.
Her name is Phoolan Devi (Biswas), a true to life figure of politics and woman's rights whose plight of abuse and marginalism are here depicted in a nation one is perhaps partial to expecting to be more rife within that of a predominantly Islamic state rather than India.
When we start with Devi's life, we begin with young Phoolan in a small stretch of water as an infant, the film offering very little in the form of respite in its documenting of this girl being put through the wringer as it is here in this very first scene a gentleman arrives in search of a bride to be.
Vikram's presence is equally problematic, a male character in the film where there need not be one; a male character who steps in and acts as a physical manifestation of where Phoolan herself should be breaking through transgressive barriers.
This is probably why I was only moderately interested in the story throughout, and why I personally cannot recommend the film..
Read any article or ask someone personally and you will begin to feel that a typical Indian audience likes to watch a movie which is away from reality so that they don't have to think about the problems and hardships of life.
The best parts of her acting were in her rape scenes, which is either due to Amazing Direction or good use of imagination that it gets so close to truth.Direction - Shekhar Kapur previously directed Mr. India, a mainstream film with a mythical plot while this film deals with reality.
The tune of this song was later adapted in the movie Raid and was sung by Nusrat's brother Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.Overall, the film deserved a 10 on 10 but I'm taking 1 star away due to some facts I've come to know about the movie.