Mamta Kalia

credits of the film. Jagmohan’s elder
brother Brijmohan Mundhra was an old
acquaintance and he convinced me to
sign just a week before the press show
of the film in Goregaon Film City.
I saw the preview along with my
senior journalist friends Lajpat Rai (well
known for his anti-BJP columns in
Midday), and Asha Panemanglore. I was
extremely disappointed with the film,
especially some scenes which were very
loud and made mockery of the sensitivity
of the film. The long-stretched scene
of the hawaldar dancing to a song on
radio with a ‘lehenga’ in hand, the frivolous
conversation of the women activists in
Bhanwari’s unrealistically beautiful ‘made
up ’ house and the indecent dialogues
of women constables were unbearable.
But what worried me the most was the
narration of the film through the eyes
of two foreign journalists--a film tailor
made for international audience. Is this
called ‘returning to one’s roots?’ Seeing
me almost on the verge of tears Lajpat
Rai was amused and started giving me
tips on film writing-“Take your money
and forget the rest. If you are so emotional
then just write stories where your
characters are in your control and not
puppets on the director’s fingers ”. Asha
Panemanglore, a Marxist worker, was
trying to console me-“ Try to see this
film from the point of view of the average
viewer, you will like the film .” My
expectations had been belied. I was
analysing the film from Bhanwari’s point
of view and feeling the burden of guilt.
After the film release, I told Mundra
to deposit my remaining one-fourth
remuneration as screenplay writer in
Bhanwari’s account. Was this token
donation enough for me to get rid of
my guilt ?
The film was released internationally
and garnered considerable attention.
Nandita Das even got the best actress
award in a festival in France. She was
invited by several women’s organisations
for film’s shows abroad. Jagmohan
Mundhra wanted to change his image
as maker of soft porn films and he finally
succeeded. But in India the film got stuck
in censor board for some time. The music
release function of the film was held
at J 49, a pub in Juhu on 22nd October,
2001. Vishwamohan Bhatt and Rekha
were posing for the shutterbugs in
beautiful silk attires. The premier of the
film was held on 21 st November with
great fanfare. The newspapers were full
of press conference photos of Mundhra
and Nandita Das. I did not attend these
functions. The invitation card on the
artistic handmade paper, seemed to be
teasing me. Even Vishwamohan Bhatt’s
soothing music failed to uplift my spirits.
Once I had praised ‘Bandit Queen’ to
the skies, had opposed the protests of
women organisations and stated that this
film was like a nude sculpture, which
if installed in art galleries seems a
touchstone of high art but deserves to
be covered if put on a crossroad in
a slum. But now why had my aesthetic
sense been paralyzed? Was it because
for me Bhanwari was a flesh and blood
woman whose struggles were very close
to my heart . Phoolan on the other
hand was a dacoit, a villain, a third
person, whose film I could see with
objectivity.
Mundhra told me that several women’s
organisations had invited him along with
Bhanwari for a talk and film screening.
He said, “I told Bhanwari to come with
me and see Europe but she refused.”Before
I could ask anything he said, “She is
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