Bandit Queen (1994)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Shekhar Kapur

Writers:

Ranjit Kapoor (dialogue)
Mala Sen (book)

Release Date:

30 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

She was the most feared outlaw in India. If the story wasn't true you wouldn't believe it...

Plot:

The movie tells the story of the bandit queen Phoolan Devi who was sent to prison in 1983 and got free in 1994...

Plot Keywords:

Bandit | Sexism | Female Gangleader | Violence | South Asian

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Seema Biswas	...	Phoolan Devi
Aditya Srivastava	...	Puttilal
Agesh Markam	...	Mad Woman
Ajai Rohilla	...	Behmai Man
Anirudh Agarwal	...	Babu Gujjar
Anil Sahu	...	Vikram Gang Member
Anupam Shyam	...	Ganshyam
Aseem Bajaj	...	Poolan / Man Singh Gang
Ashok Bulani	...	D.S.P
Ashok Sharma	...	Ashokchand Servant
Avinash Nemade	...	Doctor
Basant Rawat	...	Poolan / Man Singh Gang
Chotelal Siraswal	...	Vikram Gang Member
Deepak Chibber	...	S.P. Bhind
Deepak Soni	...	Miandad

Also Known As:

Phoolan Devi (India: Hindi title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

India | UK

Language:

Hindi | Assamese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | India:A | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | India:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | Iceland:16

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Shekhar Kapur]truck driver with beard whom Phoolan Devi (Seema Biswas) hits with the gun handle.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hera Pheri (2000)

An aching experience

This movie was initially banned in India, because of the reason that it contains some sexual content and absolute nudity. But later on the ban was removed but it was marketed as an adult movie. So, finally, I was lucky enough to see this in theater, and I don't know how much the bogus sensor board had deleted from its preferred international version. Obviously, there was some sexual content and nudity but it was not vulgar like those you see in much renowned old temples in India. Those sexual violence, gang rape, child marriage (in fact it is bartering girl child) shown in the movie still prevail in India (especially north India) and this movie was banned because, Indians doesn't like some one to aver it openly. (Indian censor board had once banned saving Private Ryan, saying that it contained intense war violence. But they show a green flag to malicious crap from Bollywood) Bandit Queen was a realistic portrayal of the life of Phoolan Devi, minister turned bandit of infamous Chambal region. While progressing the movie, we learn that she was sold at the age of 11 (They call it child marriage), was gang raped continuously by entire men in her village, was paraded naked in front of the whole village and all these explain how she became a bandit. Besides giving an account of the life of Phoolan, this movie shows light in to the satanic practices prevailed in feudal India. A major chunk of low caste population of northern India are still breathing under the clutches of land lords and politicians and I think this paved to be another reason for the banning of this movie in India.

Bandit queen is not like other bollywood melodramas, as it possess a great narrative structure, it doesn't have useless songs, is realistic and above all it has life in it. While other actresses in popular Hindi movies are just glamor dolls, Seema biswas gives an unbelievable performance as Phoolan, (for this role she was awarded the best actress national award). Shekhar Kapoor's direction deserves special mention so is the score and cinematography of the movie. I cannot forget the scene, the night after Phoolan's marriage at the age of 8. This movie depicts the humiliation and ill-treatment faced by Phoolan Devi as a woman, but it is disturbing to know that, to film the nude scenes of Phoolan, Shekhar had to use a body double(so I am heard, I am not sure) and that itself is another form of humiliation.

As an Indian, I feel proud to recommend this movie to any one.