Indian films portray today's social concerns

JAKARTA (JP): Indian movies on issues of social concern and related discussions are being held this week at Teater Utan Kayu (TUK), Jl Utan Kayu 68H, East Jakarta. Below is a synopsis of two of the five films.

Bandit Queen (July 12, 4 p.m.; Discussion, 7:30 p.m.). Cast: Seema Biswas, Nirmal Pandey. Director: Shekhar Kapur.

The story about the most wanted outlaw between 1979 and 1983 is adapted from a book by Mala Sen.

It starts with a prepubertal Phoolan's (Biswas) forced marriage to a man three times her age, attempted rapes of her, her reporting it and being instantly branded an outcast as a result.

She meets up with a posse of bandits, becomes one herself and with the help of her bandit lover Vikram Mallah (Pandey), forms a gang of outlaws robbing the rich and waging class warfare.

Phoolan is forced to walk naked in through a marketplace after being raped by village landlords. Later, she kills the primary rapist and villagers who stood by and did nothing during her humiliation.

The production features music by Roger White III and the late great Sufi Pakistani vocalist, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Salaam Bombay (July 11, 7:30 p.m.). Cast: Sony Razdan, Nana Patekar. Director: Mira Nair.

The Oscar-nominated movie tells of Bombay street life, particularly depicting the struggle of prostitutes and street children.

Accompanying these movies are the late Bengali director Satyajit Ray's masterpieces Pathar Panshah (July 10, 4 p.m.), Aparajito (July 10, 7:30 p.m.) and The World of Apu (July 11, 4 p.m.). (ylt)