Bandit Queen

Bandit Queen

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Customer Reviews

Another aspect of modern India - great biography of an outstanding woman Phoolan Devi

Reviewed by Magalini Sabina, 2009-01-05

I have only recently watched this movie, that had me thoroughly captivated and mesmerized and when I realized it had been directed by the talented Shekhar Kapoor of the Elizabethian triology, I tried to tie all the loose threads together. Story goes Phoolan Devi a mallah woman (low caste) was born in 1963 (when I was 6 years old), sold at 11 to a 30 year old husband, raped, sent back to her village, refused to have sexual intercourse with high class youths of her village (Thakur), banned again, abducted by bandits, raped again, saved and loved briefly by a mallah bandit of her gang Vikram who was killed when the real chief of the gang, a Thakur, was released from prison. After another mass rape, Phoolan decides to have her own gang and take revenge on those who have wronged her. She seeks them out and vengefully kills also many innocents. The Indian government decides that she has become too popular among the lower caste because of her Robin Hood manners and too ferocious as well and so intimidates her to surrender, which she does among the great acclamation by the people of her province. Phoolan Devi's real story continued and after less than ten years in jail, she was liberated and elected as a Member of the Indian Parlament. She married again and was murdered in 2001, probably by relatives of the Thakur's she had killed during her dacoit days.
Kapoor's movie was banned in India, and the real Phoolan Devi contested its many inaccuracies and the director never even tried to contact her while he was filming her story. This last fact was seen as a deep sign of disrespect and justified many criticism that are still ongoing.
However, independently from these very important issues, the movie has a deep impact still today on our perception of the condition of women and especially child brides in South Asian countries. It depicts the importance of caste belonging, Indian village culture and the mixture of rebellion and ethnic and traditional values that oppress women in many countries. Through the narration Phoolan Devi's tormented life Kapoor wants to make some points one of which surely is also common to the Elizabethian triology, that woman empowerment must pass through a negation of sexuality.
The movie is quite long, has beautiful and important music, is played by Indian actors in a completely Indian setting in the Bollywood tradition, but at the same time it is so crude, depicting violence and sex scenes to fall outside of these schemata. But most of all it grips at you and doesn't let go, it must be watched till the end and maybe seen again.
The story stays with you for long time and even though not precise and accurate it does give an idea and the feeling of the extraordinary life o Phoolan Devi.

Phoolan Devi: Complex Tale Beautifully Rendered

Reviewed by Rebecca Whetstine, 2009-01-02

This is an astonishing film. Multi-layered, tasteful, pungeant. I discovered this film on Amazon after reading a New Yorker magazine article on the life of Phoolan Devi. To my pleasure, I found this film to be true to the textures of that acknowledged rendering. The film explores issues as relevant today as ever, and never becomes preachy or obvious. Scenes of brutality are realistic, one feels them, yet are handled with such art as to preclude any viewer from disconnecting from it. This, as much as anything, is what is important about this director's work. Finely acted, well-cast, filmed on a human scale of effect, emotion and landscape, it is a must-see. Discontinued by the manufacturer, it is bound to become ever more difficult to acquire. I do have an argument with the "lesbian" and "lesbian romance" tags. How wrong can you get? IF one is working to attract the attention of those women most powerfully interested in the inner lives of woman, and also of oppression, triumph, power differentials and women.... I suppose we must force such tags to do this work. But there must be a better way?

At any rate, should you wish to be moved, disturbed, grateful, do not hesitate a moment in acquiring this beautiful artwork!

This ain't your "Didi's" Bollywood!

Reviewed by Work of Life, 2008-04-15

No gorgeous dancing girls or glamourous mansions here. This is a brilliant production based on the real life story of an Indian legend, Phoolan Devi (Goddess Phoolan). This movie will give you a sense of what *most* of India is really like. The villages, the people, the living conditions, the caste system, the corruption.

Phoolan Devi (Goddess Phoolan) is a flawed woman. Not because of her caste (low), or her tenacity (high), or her unfortunate life (extreme) but because she is human (like the rest of us). Her life is a rough lot, but she doesn't overcome with nobility or "working to change the system". She gets a gang of highwaymen and starts slaughtering all who represent her oppression (the oppression of the low caste women) and in the process becomes an unwitting heroine of the people. The men that used her, raped her, beat her, sullied her honor, and those that oppose her liberty, dignity and inherent worth as a female human being... either suffered her gun, her fist or those of her fellow outlaws. A Robin-hood story for India. The director (the versatile and brilliant Shekar Kapur) has made sure that you don't *always* feel pity for Phoolan, she is more than the sum of her victimizations. She is portrayed as strong, sassy, stubborn, flawed, struggling, striving to live, to heal, to love, to avenge. Each step of the way, she perservered and did what no one thought could be done.

The gripe I have with this movie is that the director, never bothered to meet/consult with Phoolan (who was alive when the movie was made). This movie is not considered a definitive account of her life or a representation of the book (Phoolan's diary). It was not endorsed or approved by Phoolan in any way.

For those wondering, Phoolan was truly a people's hero, eventually released from jail, elected to the Indian Parliment and then promptly/tragically assasinated a couple years ago. Her legend is worth knowing and this movie is a brilliant telling.

A tale of India

Reviewed by Jean H. Laprime, 2007-06-14

Interesting story, but a bit self serving.

Shocking Portrait of Modern India

Reviewed by Roger Kennedy, 2006-12-14

This is a disturbing film about modern day India. Looking at the cruelty and poor living conditions, compounded by a terrible caste system one wonders how India is better off today than under the old British Raj! The British soldiers always sympathized with the ill treatment of Hindi women, and often they took arbitrary revenge on Hindi males when they observed this kind of behavior. Other charming practices that the Raj curbed was Sutee. This was where a widow would burn herself before her entire family after her husband had died.

This film, while no doubt over done with excessive violence and rape, paints a frightening portrait of modern India. Looking at this work one wonders how India is expected to become such an economic powerhouse in this century. No doubt 1/3 of the country will live off the other 2/3 who will continue to live more or less as shown here. The fate of women as shown here in Hindi India is not much different than what we find in most of Islam today. Is it surprising that so many women in 3rd world countries want to escape to the West and America. After seeing this film I can understand their plight. These regions will never emerge from their backwardness until they decide to treat women with equal rights. Until then, much of what we see here shall continue to be the norm in these parts of the world. A shocking, excessively violent film, but worth looking at none the less. the DVD could use some bio info. about Poolan Devi. Her story is no doubt somewhat distorted as told here.