Its more than a decade that Jagmohan Mundra - who made films like monsoon, has made a film - Bawandar. It is of Bhanwri Devi, a famous grass-roots social worker, was gang-raped, who has been fighting for justice for years
together, based in a village in Rajasthan.
Bhanwri Devi, a Kumhar (potter community), was raped in 1992 by four men from the upper caste (Gujjar community). This was a result of a daring act; to urge people to give up the practice of child marriage. Bhanwri Devi was a part of the
state government's program called Saathin.
"The film is my own interpretation of what truly transpired", says Jagmohan Mundra, for Bawandar, which is an outcome of exhaustive research and a close study
of the documentation of the court proceedings.
Sawri Devi (Nandita Das), wife of rickshaw-puller Sohan (Raghuvir Yadav), and mother to two kids is known for her courage in the village. Sawri is approached by Shobha Devi (Deepti Naval), a Saathin worker to take up battle against the evil of child marriage. She does so with esprit and vitality but in the process incurs the ire of the Gujjar
community. They rape her in front of her husband, after beating him up and captivating him. Shobha who's
a Saathin worker helps Sawri to register her case.
Sawri Devi sets an example of ideal Indian women and Sohan, her husband, who stood by her all throughout emerges as an ideal husband. He even turns against his parents for her sake and refuses to give any share of the award money - one lakh, awarded by the PMO's office in appreciation of her guts - to his parents, saying that the money. Alas! She loses the case in the tribunal court. However, even the film ends on a positive note, Sawri does not accept defeat and continues her work with Saathin as well as
her fight for injustice done to her.
All the actors are fit for the characters they play and the performances are of the highest order. Nandita Das looks much younger than the original Bhanwri Devi, but conveys the powerful mix of grace and grit most effectively. Deepti Naval is as good. Laila Rouass
as a foreign journalist fits her role.
The films most impressive aspect is its clarity and no loss of focus. It tells a story simply and forcefully. Bawandar has not a loose moment and is sure to grip Bill Clinton's imagination when he sees it in December in the White House. Now, the film is headed for the
London and Oslo film festivals. Congratulations Mundra!
Sawri Devi (Nandita Das), wife of rickshaw-puller Sohan (Raghuvir Yadav), and mother to two kids is known for her courage in the village. Sawri is approached by Shobha Devi (Deepti Naval), a Saathin worker to take up battle against the evil of child marriage. She does so with esprit and vitality but in the process incurs the ire of the Gujjar
community. They rape her in front of her husband, after beating him up and captivating him. Shobha who's
a Saathin worker helps Sawri to register her case.