Bawandar
Encyclopedia
Bawandar is a 2000 India
n film, based on the true story of Bhanwari Devi
, a rape victim from Rajasthan
, India. The film depicts the personal trauma, public humiliation and legal injustice that Bhanwari Devi went through, while pursuing justice in the Indian courts.
's gang-rape case. The names of characters and places have been changed for legal reasons. For example, Bhanwari's character is called Sanwari, her husband Mohan's character is called Sohan, and their village is called Dhabri (Bhateri in real life).
The story is introduced through first-part narration by a foreign reporter called Amy (Laila Rouass
), who has read about Sanwari's case in a newspaper. Amy and her friend-cum-interpreter Ravi (Rahul Khanna
) visit Sanwari's village to investigate the matter, five years after the gang rape incident. On their arrival in Rajasthan, they encounter an old man Sohan (Raghuvir Yadav
), who helps them on their way to a village where they encounter Sanwari's rapists. Sohan turns out to be Sanwari's husband, and tells the tale of Sanwari's rape case.
Shobha (Deepti Naval
) is a social worker who works for the Government of India. Her job involves create awareness against child-marriage and other social evils. In Dhabri, she recruits Sanwari (Nandita Das
) as a saathin, a grassroots worker employed as part of the Women's Development Project run by the Government of Rajasthan. Sanwari is a low-caste potter; her husband Sohan is a rickshaw-puller, and the couple has a young girl called Kamli.
As part of her job, Sanwari educates the womenfolk in the village against child marriages, and invites ire of the conservative village elders. Most of these villagers belong to the Gurjar community, which is upper in the caste hierarchy. Five men decide to teach Sanwari a lesson, when she informs the police about a child marriage happening in the Gurjar community. They beat up her husband and gang-rape her.
Sanwari and Sohan go to the police station, but the inspector (Ravi Jhankal
) refuses to lodge a First Information Report
in absence of a medical report. The doctor won't issue a medical report in absence of a court order. With Shobha's help, the couple finally manages to get a court order. With the court order, they get a medical certificate in Jaipur
, and a complaint is lodged two days after the incident.
However, the rapists are not arrested and roam around freely, boasting about their experience with Sanwari. Sanwari's case gets nation-wide attention and the Prime Minister of India
himself entrusts the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation
. A women's NGO in Delhi also tries to help Sanwari.
The accused are arrested and tried in the court, but they are backed by the local MLA Dhanraj Meena (Govind Namdeo
). Meena hires a lawyer called Purohit to defend the accused. A Gurjar lawyer (Gulshan Grover
) defends Saanwari, but faces pressure from his community to favor the accuse. The judges handling the case are transferred multiple times, and the final judgement goes against her.
Bhanwari refuses to give up her fight for justice, in spite of unhelpful villagers and relatives, an incompetent police force, and a corrupt judicial system.
sister" had brokered a deal with Mundhra for the film. The director Jag Mundhra
stated that he had screened the film for Bhanwari and her family. He also stated that he took Bhanwari to HDFC Bank's Jaipur branch, opened an account in her name, and deposited £3,000 from the film's London charity show in the account. According to him, Bhnawari might be reluctant to admit receiving the money, fearing opposition from women activists. In 2007, Shivam Vij reported that "Bhanwari Devi is most angry with those who made the film Bawandar".
Some women's organizations opposed the film due to concerns about Bhanwari Devi being exposed to hostile public scrutiny. The police also felt that the film "falsifies their role inexcusably". There was also concern that the film may end up annoying the Gurjar community, to which the accused belong. The State Government was apprehensive about the film leading to caste-based tensions.
The film was submitted to the examining committee of the Central Board of Film Certification on 18 September 2000. The committee head Asha Parekh
despatched it to the revising committee, which saw the film on 6 October, and gave it the expected "Adult" certificate. It recommended five cuts, two of which were described by the journalist Pinki Virani
as "grotesquely unfair to Bhanwari Devi". The first cut was Bhanwari Devi and her husband being held down by men, as she is raped by an uncle-nephew pair. The censors found inappropriate the forcing apart of the woman's legs. The second cut was the "visuals of suggestive masturbation by a police officer".
, and released under the label Saregama-HMVGenre
. It featured following tracks:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n film, based on the true story of Bhanwari Devi
Bhanwari Devi
Bhanwari Devi is an Indian woman, whose alleged gang rape in 1992 and the subsequent court case attracted widespread media attention nationally and internationally.- Biography :...
, a rape victim from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India. The film depicts the personal trauma, public humiliation and legal injustice that Bhanwari Devi went through, while pursuing justice in the Indian courts.
Plot
Bawandar is based on the true story of Bhanwari DeviBhanwari Devi
Bhanwari Devi is an Indian woman, whose alleged gang rape in 1992 and the subsequent court case attracted widespread media attention nationally and internationally.- Biography :...
's gang-rape case. The names of characters and places have been changed for legal reasons. For example, Bhanwari's character is called Sanwari, her husband Mohan's character is called Sohan, and their village is called Dhabri (Bhateri in real life).
The story is introduced through first-part narration by a foreign reporter called Amy (Laila Rouass
Laila Rouass
Laila Abdesselam Rouass is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Amber Gates in the British television drama Footballers' Wives and as Sarah Page in the third season of Primeval .-Career:...
), who has read about Sanwari's case in a newspaper. Amy and her friend-cum-interpreter Ravi (Rahul Khanna
Rahul Khanna
- Early life and background :Khanna was born and raised in Mumbai. His father is Bollywood matinee idol & politician, Vinod Khanna, and his younger brother is Bollywood actor, Akshaye Khanna....
) visit Sanwari's village to investigate the matter, five years after the gang rape incident. On their arrival in Rajasthan, they encounter an old man Sohan (Raghuvir Yadav
Raghuvir Yadav
Raghubir Yadav is a two-time International Award winner Indian stage, film and television actor, music composer, singer and set designer.-Biography:...
), who helps them on their way to a village where they encounter Sanwari's rapists. Sohan turns out to be Sanwari's husband, and tells the tale of Sanwari's rape case.
Shobha (Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval is an acclaimed Indian actress. She has acted in over 75 Hindi films, and most often worked in arthouse and independent films, known as parallel cinema in India.-Early life:Born in Amritsar, Punjab, India...
) is a social worker who works for the Government of India. Her job involves create awareness against child-marriage and other social evils. In Dhabri, she recruits Sanwari (Nandita Das
Nandita Das
Nandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
) as a saathin, a grassroots worker employed as part of the Women's Development Project run by the Government of Rajasthan. Sanwari is a low-caste potter; her husband Sohan is a rickshaw-puller, and the couple has a young girl called Kamli.
As part of her job, Sanwari educates the womenfolk in the village against child marriages, and invites ire of the conservative village elders. Most of these villagers belong to the Gurjar community, which is upper in the caste hierarchy. Five men decide to teach Sanwari a lesson, when she informs the police about a child marriage happening in the Gurjar community. They beat up her husband and gang-rape her.
Sanwari and Sohan go to the police station, but the inspector (Ravi Jhankal
Ravi Jhankal
Ravi Jhankal is an Indian television, stage and film actor, most known for working in Shyam Benegal's film, including Welcome to Sajjanpur and Well Done Abba...
) refuses to lodge a First Information Report
First Information Report
A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India, Pakistan and Japan when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First...
in absence of a medical report. The doctor won't issue a medical report in absence of a court order. With Shobha's help, the couple finally manages to get a court order. With the court order, they get a medical certificate in Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, and a complaint is lodged two days after the incident.
However, the rapists are not arrested and roam around freely, boasting about their experience with Sanwari. Sanwari's case gets nation-wide attention and the Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
himself entrusts the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
. A women's NGO in Delhi also tries to help Sanwari.
The accused are arrested and tried in the court, but they are backed by the local MLA Dhanraj Meena (Govind Namdeo
Govind Namdeo
Govind Namdeo is an Indian film actor. Govind made his debut as a corrupt cop in David Dhawan's Shola Aur Shabnam . He has acted in numerous A grade movies...
). Meena hires a lawyer called Purohit to defend the accused. A Gurjar lawyer (Gulshan Grover
Gulshan Grover
Gulshan Grover is an Indian actor, who has acted in over 400 films through a career spanning over 30 years.Gulshan Grover is one of the first Indian actors to have made a successful transition from Bollywood into Hollywood and international Cinema....
) defends Saanwari, but faces pressure from his community to favor the accuse. The judges handling the case are transferred multiple times, and the final judgement goes against her.
Bhanwari refuses to give up her fight for justice, in spite of unhelpful villagers and relatives, an incompetent police force, and a corrupt judicial system.
Cast
- Nandita DasNandita DasNandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
- Saanvri - Raghuvir YadavRaghuvir YadavRaghubir Yadav is a two-time International Award winner Indian stage, film and television actor, music composer, singer and set designer.-Biography:...
- Sohan (Saanvri's husband) - Deepti NavalDeepti NavalDeepti Naval is an acclaimed Indian actress. She has acted in over 75 Hindi films, and most often worked in arthouse and independent films, known as parallel cinema in India.-Early life:Born in Amritsar, Punjab, India...
- Shobha Devi - Rahul KhannaRahul Khanna- Early life and background :Khanna was born and raised in Mumbai. His father is Bollywood matinee idol & politician, Vinod Khanna, and his younger brother is Bollywood actor, Akshaye Khanna....
- Ravi - Laila RouassLaila RouassLaila Abdesselam Rouass is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Amber Gates in the British television drama Footballers' Wives and as Sarah Page in the third season of Primeval .-Career:...
- Amy - Govind Namdeo - Dhanraj Meena (MLA)
- Ishrat Ali - Purnia Gujjar (sarpanch)
- Yashpal SharmaYashpal Sharma (actor)Yashpal Sharma is an Indian actor. He is best known for his role as Randhir Singh in Sudhir Mishra's 2003 Hindi movie Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, apart from Lagaan , Gangaajal , Ab Tak Chhappan , Apaharan and Singh is Kinng and his role as Kuwar Singh in Zee's Mera Naam Karegi Roshan.-Early life...
- Sarju - Lalit Tiwari - Tej Karan
- Anupam ShyamAnupam ShyamAnupam Shyam born Anupam Shyam Ojha on 20 September 1957 is an Indian film and television actor, who usually plays villainous or character roles. He most known for his role of Thakur Sajjan Singh in STAR Plus TV series Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya...
- Mangal Panda (pandit) - Ashok Banthia
- Shri Vallabh Vyas - (as Shrivallabh Vyas)
- Ravi JhankalRavi JhankalRavi Jhankal is an Indian television, stage and film actor, most known for working in Shyam Benegal's film, including Welcome to Sajjanpur and Well Done Abba...
- Police Inspector - Mohan Bhandari
- Lillete DubeyLillete DubeyLillete Dubey is an Indian actress who appeared on the stage and in Bollywood films. Dubey is noted for appearing in some of the most popular Indian movies, including Baghban, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Fanaa. Her another notable appearance is in the Mira Nair movie Monsoon Wedding.-Personal life and...
Controversies
Before the film's release, Bhanwari Devi stated that the filmmakers didn't discuss the film with her, she never took any money from them and she wasn't shown the film. Sukhmani Singh, a journalist, reported that Bhanwari Devi was "weary, resigned and bitter". According to him, a small-time political worker and businessman describing Bhanwari as a "rakhiRakhi
Raksha Bandhan , , , or Rakhi , is a festival primarily observed in India, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is also called Rakhi Purnima in certain parts of India, like the south. The festival is observed by Hindus and Jains...
sister" had brokered a deal with Mundhra for the film. The director Jag Mundhra
Jag Mundhra
Jagmohan "Jag" Mundhra was an Indian filmmaker best known for his early career as an American exploitation film writer-director and his later career as maker of such issue-oriented films as Bawandar and Provoked.-Early life:Mundhra was born at Nagpur, and grew up in a Marwari locality in Calcutta,...
stated that he had screened the film for Bhanwari and her family. He also stated that he took Bhanwari to HDFC Bank's Jaipur branch, opened an account in her name, and deposited £3,000 from the film's London charity show in the account. According to him, Bhnawari might be reluctant to admit receiving the money, fearing opposition from women activists. In 2007, Shivam Vij reported that "Bhanwari Devi is most angry with those who made the film Bawandar".
Some women's organizations opposed the film due to concerns about Bhanwari Devi being exposed to hostile public scrutiny. The police also felt that the film "falsifies their role inexcusably". There was also concern that the film may end up annoying the Gurjar community, to which the accused belong. The State Government was apprehensive about the film leading to caste-based tensions.
The film was submitted to the examining committee of the Central Board of Film Certification on 18 September 2000. The committee head Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh is a Bollywood actress, director, and producer. She was one of the top stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973.-Early life:...
despatched it to the revising committee, which saw the film on 6 October, and gave it the expected "Adult" certificate. It recommended five cuts, two of which were described by the journalist Pinki Virani
Pinki Virani
Pinki Virani is an Indian writer and journalist who has won critical acclaim for her works "Once was Bombay", and "Aruna's Story".-Early life and education:...
as "grotesquely unfair to Bhanwari Devi". The first cut was Bhanwari Devi and her husband being held down by men, as she is raped by an uncle-nephew pair. The censors found inappropriate the forcing apart of the woman's legs. The second cut was the "visuals of suggestive masturbation by a police officer".
Music
The music of the film was composed by Vishwa Mohan BhattVishwa Mohan Bhatt
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt also known as V. M. Bhatt is an Indian slide guitar player. Bhatt is the creator of the Mohan Veena...
, and released under the label Saregama-HMVGenre
Sa Re Ga Ma
Saregama India Limited, formerly The Gramophone Company of India is an Indian music company. Saregama also works in the home video business...
. It featured following tracks:
- Aayo Holi, sung by Sapna Awasthi and Ram Shankar
- Ab To Jagna Hi Hoga
- Ab To Jagya, sung by Mahalakshmi IyerMahalakshmi IyerMahalakshmi Iyer is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi and Tamil songs. She has sung over a thousand songs in many Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam.-Career:Mahalakshmi made her singing debut with Dus,...
and chorus - Ghaghario, sung by Sapna Awasthi
- Har Aayo, sung by Parmeshwari and chorus
- Ab To Jagya - 2
- Ab To Jagya - 3, sung by Sonali Vajpayee
- Kesaria (Instrumental)
- Kesaria (Sad), sung by Rita Ganguly
- Kesaria
- Panghat
- Tumse Achha Kaun Hai, sung by K Vikas
Awards
The film was showcased at several international film festivals and won multiple awards:- Audience Choice Award , Bermuda International Film Festival (2001)
- Political Film Society, USA (PFS) Award - Peace Category (2004)
- Best Actress (Nandita DasNandita DasNandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
), Santa Monica Film Festival - 2001: Zanzibar International Film FestivalZanzibar International Film FestivalThe Zanzibar International Film Festival , also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It has been described as the largest cultural event in East Africa. During the festival, films are shown in Stone Town in Zanzibar City, as well as rural...
: Golden Dhow