The Terrorist
Encyclopedia
The Terrorist is a Tamil Indian film directed by Santosh Sivan
. The film portrays a period in the life of a 19-year-old woman, Malli (Ayesha Dharkar), sent to assassinate
a leader in South Asia
through a suicide bombing. It stars Dharkar, K. Krishna and Sonu Sisupal. The film is in Tamil
. Released in 1998, the film was shot in 15 days, with natural lighting, on a budget of $50,000.
The film won a number of awards at international film festival
s. Actor John Malkovich
first saw the film at the 1998 Cairo International Film Festival
and subsequently adopted the film as a kind of post-facto executive producer (the reissued film's titles read "John Malkovich Presents"). Critic Roger Ebert
has included the film in his series of "Great Movies" reviews. Ebert concludes his review with the following line: "Every time I see the film, I feel a great sadness, that a human imagination could be so limited that it sees its own extinction as a victory."
was campaigning in favour of a UCPI
candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Tamil Nadu
, when he was assassinated by a suicide bomber in the India
n town of Sriperumbudur
, near Madras.
The suicide bomber, Thenmuli Rajaratnam
A.K.A Dhanu, is widely believed to be have been a LTTE member. Dhanu was a cousin of Shivarasan, the supposed mastermind of the assassination. Dhanu wore the belt bomb with the explosive material in her lower back region and the power pack, two switches and the circuitry in front.
When Santosh Sivan
, a well-known cinematographer, wanted to make a film on terrorism and about a terrorist, he chose the above events as the inspiration for his story.
The film is not a direct biography of Dhanu, as she had a whole troupe working with her, as backup in case she failed.
Nominated
Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, film director, and producer who has worked in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema....
. The film portrays a period in the life of a 19-year-old woman, Malli (Ayesha Dharkar), sent to assassinate
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
a leader in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
through a suicide bombing. It stars Dharkar, K. Krishna and Sonu Sisupal. The film is in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. Released in 1998, the film was shot in 15 days, with natural lighting, on a budget of $50,000.
The film won a number of awards at international film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s. Actor John Malkovich
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
first saw the film at the 1998 Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
and subsequently adopted the film as a kind of post-facto executive producer (the reissued film's titles read "John Malkovich Presents"). Critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
has included the film in his series of "Great Movies" reviews. Ebert concludes his review with the following line: "Every time I see the film, I feel a great sadness, that a human imagination could be so limited that it sees its own extinction as a victory."
Inspiration for the film
On 21 May 1991, Rajiv GandhiRajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
was campaigning in favour of a UCPI
United Communist Party of India
United Communist Party of India , is a political party in India. It was formed in 1987 when the Indian Communist Party merged with the All India Communist Party. Veteran communist leader Mohit Sen was the general secretary of the party until his death in 2003.UCPI participates in the Confederation...
candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, when he was assassinated by a suicide bomber in the India
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 town of Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is an industrial city in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in proximity to Chennai. It is famous for being the birth place of Sri Ramanuja, one of the most prominent Hindu Vaishnava saints as well as the town where former Indian Prime Minister...
, near Madras.
The suicide bomber, Thenmuli Rajaratnam
Thenmuli Rajaratnam
Thenmozhi "Gayatri" Rajaratnam was the assassin who killed Rajiv Gandhi, herself, and 14 others in a suicide bombing on May 21, 1991, in the Indian town of Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, near Chennai. A member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , Rajaratnam was also known as Gayatri and Dhanu...
A.K.A Dhanu, is widely believed to be have been a LTTE member. Dhanu was a cousin of Shivarasan, the supposed mastermind of the assassination. Dhanu wore the belt bomb with the explosive material in her lower back region and the power pack, two switches and the circuitry in front.
When Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, film director, and producer who has worked in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema....
, a well-known cinematographer, wanted to make a film on terrorism and about a terrorist, he chose the above events as the inspiration for his story.
The film is not a direct biography of Dhanu, as she had a whole troupe working with her, as backup in case she failed.
Awards
Won- 1999 - Cinemanila International Film FestivalCinemanila International Film FestivalThe Cinemanila International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Manila, the Philippines. It was founded by Filipino filmmaker Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz in 1999....
- Grand Jury Prize - Santosh SivanSantosh SivanSantosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, film director, and producer who has worked in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema.... - 1999 - Cinemanila International Film FestivalCinemanila International Film FestivalThe Cinemanila International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Manila, the Philippines. It was founded by Filipino filmmaker Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz in 1999....
- Lino Brocka Award for Best Film - Santosh Sivan - 2000 - Ale Kino International Young Audience Film FestivalAle Kino! (television)Ale Kino! is a Polish television channel owned and operated by Canal+. It is available on the networks of cable television and the digital platform Cyfra + since April 16, 1999....
- Poznan Goat for Best Director - Santosh Sivan - 2000 - Sarajevo Film FestivalSarajevo Film FestivalThe Sarajevo Film Festival is the premier and largest film festival in the Balkans, and is one of the largest in Europe. It was founded in Sarajevo in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, and brings international and local celebrities to Sarajevo every year. It is held in August and showcases an...
- Panorama Jury Prize for Honorable Mention - Santosh Sivan
Nominated
- 2001 - Chlotrudis AwardChlotrudis Awards 2001The 7th Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented in 2001 by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Honoring the best of the past year's independent, documentary and international film, the awards ceremony took place at the Berklee College of Music's David Friend Recital Hall...
- Best Actress - Ayesha DharkerAyesha DharkerAyesha Dharker is a British-Indian actress. She is known for her performance in the Tamil Indian film, The Terrorist , for which she was awarded Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival and nominated for a Chlotrudis Award and National Film Award for Best... - 2001 - Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language FilmPhoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language Film is an annual award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society.- 2000s :- 2010s :...
Further reading
- Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Robert PapeRobert PapeRobert Anthony Pape, Jr. , is an American political scientist known for his work on international security affairs, especially the coercive strategies of air power and the rationale of suicide terrorism. He is currently a professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and founder of the...
, Random House (24 May 2005), ISBN 1-4000-6317-5