Fandry

Plot synopsis:
Fandry is a story set in the background of caste discrimination depicting the love of a 13-year-old boy.
Jambhuvant Kachru Mane (nickname: Jabya) (Somnath Awghade), a pre-teen lives in a makeshift house on the outskirts of a caste segregated village with his parents and 2 sisters (one a widow with a toddler). The family belongs to a low-caste community (Kaikadi) and earns its living by doing menial jobs. Owing to the caste-ridden power structure of the village society, the boy's father has a fearful and submissive personality which is exploited by the upper-caste villagers.
Jabya is disillusioned by the predicament of his family and shows interest in school where he has also fallen in one-sided love with a forward caste girl named Shalini (nickname: Shalu) (Rajeshwari Kharat) who he has never talked to but tries desperately to get her to notice him.
The plot opens with Jabya and his school friend Pirya (Suraj Pawar) armed with a slingshot trying to catch a bird (the Black Sparrow) in the wilderness. However, the bird call that punctuates the film is that of the Red Wattled Lapwing (Titawi), which is supposed to bring bad luck. The black sparrow, with its distinctive forked tail, and the call of the red wattled lapwing occur repeatedly throughout the film. The duo keep trying to catch the bird in the entire film for an unknown reason which is later explained in the film. According to a local legend, it is believed that when the ash obtained by burning the black sparrow is sprinkled on someone, it hypnotizes them to fall in love with the person sprinkling it.
Jabya also befriends a bicycle mechanic named Chankya (Nagraj Manjule) who sees his young self in the boy. Chankya had once gotten married to a girl but she was soon forcefully taken away by her brother and left him beaten very badly. Since then he has renounced family life and taken up refuge in spirituality, mysticism and liquor. Jabya seeks support from Chankya in his quest to obtain his love, which Chankya readily extends. Perhaps the idea of sprinkling the ash of black sparrow on Shalu is suggested to Jabya by Chankya himself. The idea, however, is executed only in Jabya's dream.
Back in the village, a face of social politics is displayed over and over again as members of the segregated village exploit and ruthlessly dehumanize Jabya and his family who co-operate in the act due to poverty, fear and social hierarchies. The film reaches its climax in one such exploitation where Jabya finally reaches his tipping point and explodes in an impulse driven intense backlash against the oppressors. He hurls a stone at one of the high-caste boys, who were teasing Jabya and his family by calling them "Fandry" (pig). The stone is seen fast approaching towards the audience and the film ends. The closing scene deliberately aims the stone at the audience, which is not only a victim but also a carrier of the exploitative caste-based social system.

Tags: romantic

Review:
A movie which makes you think about the Indian society..
A movie which shows the reality of the India which we all consider to be very modern and many people may think that these things don't exist in our modern society but be ready to get all your conceptions of the modern India be shattered by the movie Fandry.The movie is very simple from the core yet a very complicated subject to fully understand.The movie portrays the harsh reality of our shallow society yet it doesn't loose the 'entertainment factor'.There are some funny scenes shown in the film from time to time without making the film too 'cheesy' unlike many recent bollywood movies,a clever move by the director Mr.Nagraj according to me.The acting is something which only great actors would have able to pull of,but most of the actors are new to the industry and act very well despite no previous experience in acting.This movie is a true gem and should not be missed by anyone.﻿.
Hollowness of Caste System Turned Into A Brilliant Screenplay That Reminds The Work Of Satyajit Ray,.
This is truly an exemplary piece of art depicting the disparity in the Indian caste system which has plagued the Indian society for centuries & even today our society at large haven't been able to overcome.This is a movie about the aspirations of a village teenage boy from a very poor family of lower caste "kaikade".
The family earns their livelihood by taking care of the cleanliness of the village to catching of pigs roaming around the village, so it leaves no doubt on the audience of the movie to realize the family's standard of living.
Inspite of the challenge of 'hand to mouth' existence, Jabya likes going to school & is in complete disapproval of his families profession, particularly catching of pigs so that the pigs do not mess up the cleanliness of the high class people living in the village.The movie clearly depicts the Herculean task of a Father to get his daughter married particularly when the resources are scarce.
On the other hand, Jabya likes a girl from his class who is from higher class family & it is his strong desire to own a pair of new jeans & top just to look good & impress his love.
This thought process itself proves the innocence of a pure soul which has fallen pray to the sweetness of love.The movie ends with the self realization of Jabya that the society in which he is a part of, has no appreciation or value for his thought process & ultimately is left disgruntled, remorse, shattered & heart broken only to bring in the darker side of a shattered soul.This writing wasn't an easy writing at all as compared to the other movies that I have watched & jotted down my feelings about it.
It took me more than a days time to just to think & join in the dots of hollowness within our caste system.
Last but not the least, every effort in making such great films that brings out the hollowness within society of so called noble & social living beings, deserves a great amount of respect & accolades in portraying the darkest side hidden somewhere within us.
This movie , even though released in Marathi in 2013, in the so called era of "Hi-Fi Tech Savvy India", took me back to the era of 1960's the first ever Indian Academy Award winner Mr. Satyajit Ray who has made History in Indian Cinema for his epic titles "Pather Pachali, Aporajita & Apur Sansar" popularly known as "The Apu Trilogy".
With existence of like minded filmmakers, it makes me believe beyond any doubt that the art of filmaking will stay alive for some more time for us to appreciate the hues of life..
The movie is so simple would like to compare this with Iranian movies.
If you love watching Iranian movies then fandry is must watch keeping in mind the simplicity of the acting yet successful in delivering the strong message of living in poverty & suffering from caste discrimination.
The film is focused on a young boy who lives below poverty in a village and how he gets caught into superstition to get hold of his love who belongs from an upper caste society...Unlike other Indian movies where scenes are sometimes more emotionally biased, this movie will not make you cry but still will make you think against the three sensitized subjects of poverty, caste discrimination and superstition to some extent...
I have watched a few movies showing teenagers getting attracted to opposite sex.
I went to watch the movie with similar thought in mind, but came out with exceptional experience of human emotions.
Typically have seen Indian national anthem used in movies for an ordinary scene.
Classic presentation of Indian caste system and human mentality to treat the ones who are weaker.
The movie does not depict scene of some age long time but shows present situation in villages.
Very few Marathi movies are so heart touching.
Superb movie, astonishing debut by Manjule.
As a Maharashtrian I have watched the new wave of issue-based Marathi movies with interest.
However so far most of them have been of the sort "let's turn this one idea I have into a movie", which accompanied with little directorial talent (forget an auteur's voice) has resulted in preachy, repetitive, artificial, and broadly underwhelming films.But this, this is the real deal.
Rarely do you see a director this perfectly in control of what he wants to say in a way that his movie primarily remains a movie and does not become a lesson, and yet hits you hard.
This movie has been vaguely marketed as a love story, which I find ridiculous because it is nothing of the sort (the love interest does not even have a line).
It is a movie about adolescence and hopes and caste, just about regular old real village life from the point of view of a young boy.
There is not a moment of artifice in it, everything is real and honest.This is top quality, Oscar worthy work, with echoes in the movie-making and storytelling of Shyam Benegal (Ankur etc), Premchand (Godaan), Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven), and even Terence Malick (Days of Heaven) for the imagery.
I can even say this is the only movie that I have seen till date which is so authentic in its execution.
The story revolves around a young boy(Jabya)who is a victim of the social inequality due to casteism in a village.
The entire film drives in a direction where the group of people in the village infuriate the boy by abusing him and his family with his caste calling them "Fandri" (Pig), but he remains calm as his family is dependent on the village.
The accumulation of all this anger, fear, fury get outburst in the climax act.Everyone in the cast has done a extraordinary performance, there is nowhere where you can see any cinematic sequence.
This credit should go the director of the movie (Nagraj Manjule).
The amount of ground work that is there in this movie is enormous.
The anonymous character from the home doesn't hands over the water to her instead keeps it down to avoid the touch of inferior caste.In the era of highly moving camera and fast action cuts, the camera work in the movie just shows the power of still cinematography which elevated the movie to the much higher level.The movie is just one great masterpiece from the debut director !.
I saw Sairat, and later when Dhadak was released - I revisited Sairat and while reading about the Director Nagraj Manjule - came again across his first feature length film - Fandry.
The story is about 13 year old adolescents boy Jabya's dream - his unrequited LOVE towards Shalu, a girl studying with him.
And Jabya's dis-interest in his untouchable lower caste's based role his father Kachru plays in the village doing menial jobs.
The story eloquently leads us to the final set-up where embarrassed Jabya has to give a hand to his father to catch a piglet in front of his school mates inside a garbage ground.It is an utterly heart-wrenching tale of realization of broken dreams of LOVE in front of whole village, especially in front of the girl who too laughs are the family's endeavors of catching a pig; where people humiliate and playfully laugh and make fun of Jabya.After watching Fandry I also watched a short film of the director Nagraj - Pistulya (10 minutes short film)Few things stand out as Director Nagraj Manjule's trademarks - 
His movies portrays his personal experiences of life, There is an angle of LOVE, The movies are based in smaller towns and villages, the protagonists are mostly new and unknown faces who are drawn into acting, There is social issues highlighted in the movie - castes, discrimination, honor killing, education The movies are a good mix of lighter moments, The music of the movies is good, The movies are made with much sensitiveness, One can see the glimpses of great master at work, It looks evident that a lot of work has been done at the script (writing) stage, There are moments in the movie that are heart wrenching, The endings of all the three movies are tragic All the lead characters of the movie have enacted their roles beautifully.
Applause to Somanth Awghade who plays Jabya and Kishore Kadam who plays Jabya's father Kachru.The movie has won several awards including the National Award for best debut director and child artist.
The movie's cinematography is worth mentioning which has been captured with great still shots reminding us of internationally acclaimed directors like Terrence Mallick with sensibilities of Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali.
Director Manjule too has also done a small cameo as a mentor of Jabya.
It was a stepping stone for Manjule to come out with the commercial block-buster Sairat - without compromising on the theme and his movie making style.Great watch - Go, find FANDRY from somewhere - it is on Netflix too and watch it.
The movie will change the way you look at life.(I will go with 7.75 out of 10).
This movie is staged in a rural village in India.
It focuses on the young son of the only family of "untouchables" in the village.
He also struggles with coming of age, as he finds he has feelings of attraction to a girl.
The story has a slower pace, allowing us to really experience and contemplate the daily life of this boy and his poverty-stricken family.
You rarely get a chance to watch such a touching story.
Hats off to director Nagaraj Manjule and all non-actors in movie (you wont believe it - the first time actors) they has done excellent job.Movie is based on cast-ism in India.My one of favorite scene is the last scene of movie - where director shown really unique way to express his anger and frustration to the society.
This is director's debut movie and he has done an excellent job.If you live in Indian village then you find this movie so realistic.This movie present the problem of caste system in rural areas in harsh way.This is thought provoking movie on social issues.The climax of the movie leaves you speechless.We think that the Indian society is becoming modern but still in some areas the cast system is present where superior caste dominate the inferior caste.This issue is shown in the film with realistic mood.The story revolves around a lower caste boy who falls in love with higher caste girl but not ready to tell her.I think that such movies should made in marathi.Nowadays marathi movies are really doing great..
true and realistic insight into the life of an outcast boy whos heart is oblivious of the world of indifference.
The movie ends in an extremely agitated mood where there is no other way to successfully convey the message this movie meant to deliver.
I was surprise to find this movie on ‪#‎Netflix‬ so thanks to #Netflix.
Heartbreaking story of a boy who is victim of unfair and cruel social system and heartless poverty that comes as an inheritance.The village life, Spoken ‪#‎Marathi‬ Dialect and the landscapes presented in the movie were so familiar that it was my time-lapse into my past.My friends, if you get a chance, please watch this movie if you are into movies..
Movie starts with a Poor, Lower Caste Family.
But "Jabya" is one Gem who wants to Study as well generate money by doing some outdoor works, just for having a desire of purchasing a Jeans.
School boy and obviously having that 1st attraction for which school guys always state as a love.
The real shame was in the end his love interest was found laughing at his family while they grabbing the out of mind Pig. Movie goes in good pace throughout.
Acting wise every lead jobs are done awesome and the rest of the cast has given credit to their respective role.
Fandry is one of the most heart touching, off the track movie ever seen.
Actually there are many movies in Marathi are well scripted but others lacks powerful ending.
Fandry is well scripted with one of the best endings in Indian Cinema.
Acting and scenes are natural, hats off to all for making such a real life drama.
It correctly picks the main social issue of inequality, which many thinks is gone.
But it still happens in small villages where inequality based on caste and economic conditions.
Fandry is outcome of all these conditions.Never seen movie like this after 'children of heaven'.
Its the only movie can be compared to..
Regional cinema in India (that excludes Bollywood and the big mainstream Tamil and Telugu movies) occasionally yields little gems like this flick.
I heard of it on a news program towards the end of 2014 - the anchor was listing her favorites from the year gone by and she mentioned this as a must-watch inter-caste school love story.
A low- caste school boy is smitten by the pretty high caste girl that he sees in school every day but centuries of caste stigma are not easily shaken off by sharing the same classroom.
The low caste family is routinely humiliated and called upon to trap the wild pigs that roam the village - the rest of the villagers consider the pigs unclean and any contact with the pigs impure.
The boy rages against the caste trap and his own father for forcing him to take part in trapping pigs.
The movie unfolds slowly for most of its running time, and the high caste characters are almost caricatures in their cruel callousness.
Yet, the movie comes alive with a brutal brilliance in the last 10 minutes as shame and fury collide within the tormented boy in an explosive climax.
The very last scene is like a punch in the stomach as the raging boy seems to hurl a stone at the audience itself for being mute spectators to injustice..
Its a gem from Rural India!!!.
'Fandry' is an exceptionally well crafted film on Social issues still exist in rural India.
The young protagonist 'Jambya' is a school going boy who is from untouchable 'Kaikade' community who catch pigs and do odd jobs for their living.
Jambya is interested in school and likes a girl from school who is a upper caste.
The boy has rebellious thought of not catching pigs although its their basic work for living.
Director has meticulously worked on characters and social pressure on them through different incidences.
The suffocation of the boy due to family pressure, his love for upper class girl and killing of his innocence at the hands of upper caste boys are key points which are well written by the writer.
What starts as a simple rural life oriented film goes to climax with boy overcoming the pressure of society, understanding of self and takes audience to a different level of his revolt against 'untouchability' issue.The climax is the hallmark of the film.
Its a tight slap to the society which shows how a small boy becomes an adult due to one incidence.
There is a definite message in the film which the Director delivers in distinctive fashion.
The film has already won many awards in India and accolades from all over the world.
If you really love reality based Cinema then this is it.
Fandry is a milestone film in the history of Indian cinema.
The film makes the audience to retrospect on the social condition in Indian society.
The family of Jabya is victimized not because they are poor but because they are born in lower caste.
Jabya finally tries to break the barriers of caste system not by using pen which stands for knowledge and which he loves most but by pelting stone i.e. violence.
This movie is for those who are ready to change their perspective on life.
Set in a small village of India, the film gives its message through picture-images and symbolism..
Another Marathi movie to be proud of.
But what happens when it's time to apply in real life?
Fandry, uses a backdrop of a rural village in Maharashtra to portray an absolutely realistic depiction of our society.
Brilliant metaphors follow one after the other in this movie, right from the black sparrow to the pigs.
A simple and an otherwise funny episode of pig catching makes you feel so angered and disgusted.
People feel we are now a developed nation and such thinking doesn't exist but it's really not true.
Kudos to the makers of this movie, deserved much more than just 2 national awards!
I loved the direction of Nagraj Manjule.
The topic is little sensitive since it shows the upper cast & lower cast difference which exist in society.
The Main character of the story is Jabya (Somnath Awghade) played this role very well.