Bandit Queen Details

harrowing, shocking but ultimately hopeful

I saw this a few years ago and it left a lasting impression. Bandit Queen is the true story of Phoolam Devi a village girl from the 'untouchables' caste who is routinely humiliated and assaulted by her 'betters'. Suffering horrific gang rapes and so on, she eventually decides that enough is enough and becomes a ferocious bandit (frankly, it's hard to blame her although her more savage acts are also impossible to condone). Then, in the middle of all this brutality there's a really touching love story too, but with the lovers on the run, even this cannot bring lasting happiness. The film explores her life as a bandit, but this same woman ended up after prison with all charges dropped and she served as an MP until her eventual assassination in 2001. This film is a brilliant, shocking indictment of the status of the untouchables and of women in particular in rural India. It's also an exciting, brilliantly acted action film. See it if you get the chance.

[Highly rated reviewer]

A must-see from India

Far from the inaninties of Bollywood 'Bandit Queen' is an angry film about the oppression of India's women and low caste members. Fuelled by a sense of injustice the is a powerful and disturbing cry on behalf of the voiceless of one of the world's most fascinating cultures.

Bandit Queen is rivetting from beginning to end. It is violent and disturbing, brutal and horrific but it also is a convincing critique of the fundamental flaws in the society.

There are glorious landscapes and momen ts of delight and beauty.

A marvellous and serious film about modern India. Think a female version of Robin Hood or Ned Kelly.