Bawandar(2000)
Bawandar is a 2000 Hindi drama film directed by Jag Mundhra. It stars Nandita Das as Sanwari, a low-caste woman from rural Rajasthan. Raghuvir Yadav plays her husband Sohan, and Deepti Naval plays social worker Shobha Devi. The film is based on the real gang-rape of Bhanwari Devi, a government-employed village worker. It follows Sanwari's fight for justice after she is attacked by five higher-caste men for reporting a child marriage. The story exposes the failures of the police, medical system, and courts in India. The film won multiple international awards, including the Golden Dhow at Zanzibar International Film Festival and Best Actress for Nandita Das at Santa Monica Film Festival. It was controversial upon release and faced censorship issues in India. The film is available on select international platforms.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Fawesome TV, YouTube, Plex
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 2000
- Director
- Jag Mundhra
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h
- Rating
- 6.2/10
Storyline
Sanwari is a poor potter in a Rajasthan village. She joins a government program to stop child marriages. This angers powerful men in her village. They beat her husband and gang-rape her. Sanwari fights for justice through a corrupt system that refuses to help her.
“One woman's fight against an unjust system.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Bawandar
Cast reunions in this film: Yashpal Sharma & Govind Namdeo (3 films together), Deepti Naval & Raghubir Yadav (2 films together), and Raghubir Yadav & Govind Namdeo (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film is based on the true story of Bhanwari Devi, a social worker from Rajasthan who was gang-raped in 1992.
- Director Jag Mundhra was known for thrillers, but made this film to highlight a serious social issue.
- Actress Nandita Das prepared for her role by spending time with real-life activists in rural Rajasthan.
- The film's title 'Bawandar' means 'sandstorm', symbolizing the turmoil the protagonist faces.
- It was screened at several international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival.
- The real-life court case shown in the film remained unresolved for many years after the movie's release.
- The script was developed with input from women's rights groups to ensure accuracy.