Bijli(2022)
Tamil12 mins
Gajamathi is an immigrant worker from Bihar, who lives in a small shack in the construction building along with her mother Shanthi and her three-year-old daughter Bijli. As fate would have its indifferent course, Bijli goes missing from the construction site. Relentless, Gajamati along with her mother and the kind hearted site foreman Murugan go on a crusade to find and bring Bijli back to her home.
Director:Manasvini Boovarahan
Mood:
darkemotionalsuspenseful
Where to watch:
OTT availability not confirmed yet. Check Netflix · Prime Video · Hotstar · ZEE5
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 1 November 2022
- Director
- Manasvini Boovarahan
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 12m
- Rating
- 5.7/10
Storyline
A mother named Gajamathi works at a construction site with her own mother and young daughter, Bijli. When Bijli suddenly disappears from the site, Gajamathi refuses to give up. She, her mother, and a compassionate foreman named Murugan desperately search to bring Bijli home.
“A mother's desperate search for her missing child.”
Film Details
5.7Rating
12Minutes
TamilLanguage
Release Date1 November 2022
Parental Guide
Violence
Low
Language
Low
Sex / Nudity
Mild
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Low
Vibe & Tags
Mood
darkemotionalsuspenseful
Themes
survivalfamilyjusticecorruption
Tonegritty
Pacingslow-burn
Complexitymoderate
Audiencearthouse
Best Withalone
Violence2
Emotion5
Humor1
Rewatchability3
Cast & Crew
#1
R
ReihanaBijli
→#2
U
UmashankarHead Constable
→#3
A
Anjali Kumari MishraGajamathi
→#4
#5G
Garima MishraRani
→M
Madhavi SharmaShanthi
→#6
#7V
Vadivel MuruganMurugan
→R
Rajesh BalachandiranInspector
→#8
S
Saraskanth KannaiyanCrew
→#9
V
Vishal RamakrishnanMusic
→#10
M
Manasvini BoovarahanDirector
→Trivia
- The film was shot in just 16 days, with a tight schedule to capture its raw and urgent narrative.
- Director Manasvini Boovarahan also served as the film's editor, maintaining close creative control over the final cut.
- The child actor playing Bijli was a non-professional, discovered during the film's location scouting in Chennai.
- Much of the film was shot on location in actual, active construction sites to enhance authenticity.
- The movie's title, 'Bijli', which means 'lightning' in Hindi, symbolizes the sudden and shocking disappearance of the child.
- It was produced on a very modest budget, relying heavily on natural lighting and practical locations to tell its story.
- The film uses a mix of Tamil and Hindi dialogue, reflecting the linguistic reality of migrant worker communities in Chennai.