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Devaki (film)
Encyclopedia
Devaki is a Hindi film released on 6 January 2006. The film directed by Bappaditya Bandopadhyay
stars Ram Kapur, Suman Ranganathan
, Arvin Tucker and Perizaad Zorabian
.The film was premiered at the Osian Cinefan Asian Film Festival in July 2005. Since then it has traveled to 11 International Film Festival amidst much critical accolades and has been touted as a 'must watch for every woman'. Nominated for the best feature film at Sao Paulo International Film Festival
, Brazil
, Ashville International Film Festival,NC, Global Knight International Film Festival, Malta
, and Golden Gate International Film Festival,SF, it won the award in Asheville. Officially released in 6 January 2006, this small film has been doing the rounds in the video stores for some time.
The plot is derived from a real life incident where a tribal woman named Devakibai was sold in an open auction in Pandhana
, a sub-division of Khandwa district
in Madhya Pradesh
, in January 2003. The auction was organized by the Maha Panchayat Panchaganga and legitimized by the presence of Hiralal Silawat, Minister of Fisheries, who inaugurated the function. This atrocity was uncovered by journalist Deepak Tiwari and became the cover story of the magazine, The Week
.
The film Devaki takes a look at the parallel lives of two young women, belonging to strikingly different backgrounds, who were both betrayed by their fathers and lovers.
Devaki (Suman Ranganathan
) is a village girl who is forced into marriage to a 70-year-old man. On the night of the marriage, she is raped by the brother of the impotent old man in order to establish the age-old practice of physical dominance of the male over the female. She develops a relation with a low caste runaway boy but the villagers catch them in the act of love-making and they are brought before the Panchayat. Devaki is made to stand holding a heavy stone on her head, the severity of the punishment aimed at setting an example to other women. The villagers and the Panchayat decide to auction Devaki to the highest bidder and pay the money to the 70-year-old husband. Once again, another old man buys her.
The live of Nandini (Perizaad Zorabian
) is more complicated. In protest against the feudal practices in Devaki's village Nandini, an urban girl who has come to the village to work as an NGO activist trying to empower the village women through literacy and awareness, quits her job and goes back to the city. Soon, she finds out that in some respects urban life is no different to village life. Economically betrayed and physically used by her lover Rahul (Ram Kapur), she feels herself losing self-respect and betrayed and disillusioned by Rahul’s treatment of his pregnant wife, Sumana, and the lies he has been telling both women. She forces herself to end the illicit relationship and joins an advertising agency. But she is shocked to find out that her selfish father (George Baker
), who had deserted the family many years ago, owns the agency. He doesn’t seem to remember the fact that he left behind a wife who is now in a mental asylum, still awaiting his return, and a daughter who he doesn’t recognize though she works for him. The ultimate betrayal comes when her father/boss advises her to satisfy his client sexually to clinch a deal and offers her 2% of the profit as a reward. She decides to sell herself to this lecherous old man, avenging her father’s betrayal by sacrificing herself. Her vindication comes in the form of his shock when she eventually tells him the truth!
Bappaditya Bandopadhyay
Bappaditya Bandopadhyay or Bappaditya Banerjee is an Indian director and poet.He is the recipient of the Most Promising Director award for the year 2003, by the BFJA . His second feature film Silpantar was premiered at the Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria...
stars Ram Kapur, Suman Ranganathan
Suman Ranganathan
Suman Ranganath is an Indian model and actress who has starred in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films.-Biography:Suman Ranganath was born to a Kannadiga parents in Bangalore, Karnataka on 26 July 1974...
, Arvin Tucker and Perizaad Zorabian
Perizaad Zorabian
Perizaad Zorabian is an Indian actress. Her film debut was with Nagesh Kukunoor's Bollywood Calling and she gained international recognition for her role as Jenny in Subhash Ghai's Joggers' Park .-Early life:...
.The film was premiered at the Osian Cinefan Asian Film Festival in July 2005. Since then it has traveled to 11 International Film Festival amidst much critical accolades and has been touted as a 'must watch for every woman'. Nominated for the best feature film at Sao Paulo International Film Festival
São Paulo International Film Festival
The São Paulo International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in São Paulo, Brazil since 1976. In 2004 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami was a member of the jury.-International Jury Award:*2001: The New Country ...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Ashville International Film Festival,NC, Global Knight International Film Festival, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, and Golden Gate International Film Festival,SF, it won the award in Asheville. Officially released in 6 January 2006, this small film has been doing the rounds in the video stores for some time.
The plot is derived from a real life incident where a tribal woman named Devakibai was sold in an open auction in Pandhana
Pandhana
Pandhana is a town and a nagar panchayat in Khandwa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.-Geography:Pandhana is located at . It has an average elevation of 349 metres .-Demographics:...
, a sub-division of Khandwa district
Khandwa District
Khandwa District , formerly known as East Nimar District, is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The city of Khandwa is the administrative headquarters of the district.-Geography:...
in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, in January 2003. The auction was organized by the Maha Panchayat Panchaganga and legitimized by the presence of Hiralal Silawat, Minister of Fisheries, who inaugurated the function. This atrocity was uncovered by journalist Deepak Tiwari and became the cover story of the magazine, The Week
The Week
The Week, styled as THE WEEK, is a weekly news magazine.-History:It was founded in the United Kingdom by Jolyon Connell in 1995. In April 2001, the magazine began publishing an American edition; an Australian edition followed in October 2008. Dennis Publishing publishes the U.K. and Australian...
.
Plot
Devaki (Suman Ranganathan
Suman Ranganathan
Suman Ranganath is an Indian model and actress who has starred in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films.-Biography:Suman Ranganath was born to a Kannadiga parents in Bangalore, Karnataka on 26 July 1974...
) is a village girl who is forced into marriage to a 70-year-old man. On the night of the marriage, she is raped by the brother of the impotent old man in order to establish the age-old practice of physical dominance of the male over the female. She develops a relation with a low caste runaway boy but the villagers catch them in the act of love-making and they are brought before the Panchayat. Devaki is made to stand holding a heavy stone on her head, the severity of the punishment aimed at setting an example to other women. The villagers and the Panchayat decide to auction Devaki to the highest bidder and pay the money to the 70-year-old husband. Once again, another old man buys her.
The live of Nandini (Perizaad Zorabian
Perizaad Zorabian
Perizaad Zorabian is an Indian actress. Her film debut was with Nagesh Kukunoor's Bollywood Calling and she gained international recognition for her role as Jenny in Subhash Ghai's Joggers' Park .-Early life:...
) is more complicated. In protest against the feudal practices in Devaki's village Nandini, an urban girl who has come to the village to work as an NGO activist trying to empower the village women through literacy and awareness, quits her job and goes back to the city. Soon, she finds out that in some respects urban life is no different to village life. Economically betrayed and physically used by her lover Rahul (Ram Kapur), she feels herself losing self-respect and betrayed and disillusioned by Rahul’s treatment of his pregnant wife, Sumana, and the lies he has been telling both women. She forces herself to end the illicit relationship and joins an advertising agency. But she is shocked to find out that her selfish father (George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
), who had deserted the family many years ago, owns the agency. He doesn’t seem to remember the fact that he left behind a wife who is now in a mental asylum, still awaiting his return, and a daughter who he doesn’t recognize though she works for him. The ultimate betrayal comes when her father/boss advises her to satisfy his client sexually to clinch a deal and offers her 2% of the profit as a reward. She decides to sell herself to this lecherous old man, avenging her father’s betrayal by sacrificing herself. Her vindication comes in the form of his shock when she eventually tells him the truth!
Cast
- Ram Kapur...Rahul
- Suman RanganathanSuman RanganathanSuman Ranganath is an Indian model and actress who has starred in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films.-Biography:Suman Ranganath was born to a Kannadiga parents in Bangalore, Karnataka on 26 July 1974...
....Devaki - Arvin Tucker ...
- Perizaad ZorabianPerizaad ZorabianPerizaad Zorabian is an Indian actress. Her film debut was with Nagesh Kukunoor's Bollywood Calling and she gained international recognition for her role as Jenny in Subhash Ghai's Joggers' Park .-Early life:...
...Nandini - Neelanjan Bose....
- George BakerGeorge Baker (actor)George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
.... Father of Nandini - Raman Kapoor...
Crew
- Director: Bappaditya BandopadhyayBappaditya BandopadhyayBappaditya Bandopadhyay or Bappaditya Banerjee is an Indian director and poet.He is the recipient of the Most Promising Director award for the year 2003, by the BFJA . His second feature film Silpantar was premiered at the Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria...
- Producer: K.D. Singh, Toubro Infotech Industries
- Screenplay: Ashish Roy
- Cinematography: Rana DasguptaRana DasguptaRana Dasgupta is a British-Indian novelist and essayist. He grew up in Cambridge, England and studied at Balliol College, Oxford, the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud in Aix-en-Provence, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
- Editors: Uttam Roy, Rajeev Jhaveri,Shakeel
- Music: Bikram Ghosh, Amar Haldipur, P. Sameer
Release
- USA -September 2005(Temecula Valley International Film FestivalTemecula Valley International Film FestivalTemecula Valley International Film Festival is a film festival held in Temecula Valley, California.Begun September 1995 and held every September since, it is a celebration Film and Music. It drew 600 attendees in 1995 and more than 20,000 in 2008...
) - BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
-23 September 2005 (Festival do Rio BR) - IndiaIndiaIndia , 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...
- 6 January 2006 - SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-16 April 2006
Awards
- Best Feature Film Award at the Asheville Film Festival-North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
-U.S.A.