She wrote about unsung heroines, the downtrodden women who were never talked about, the problems with society and also fought against issues of the subjugated. She wrote because she knew them and wanted their stories to be told. And notable writer Mahasweta Devi’s powerful portrayal was translated into stories for the silver screen which hold true even today in our so-called civilized times. But who was Mahasweta Devi and why should you watch the films based on her work? Read on to discover.
Who Was Mahasweta Devi?
An Indian Bengali writer and activist, Mahasweta Devi won many awards for her literary and social works in her lifetime including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Ramon Magsaysay Award, SAARC literary award, Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan. Not only this, the Bangladesh-born Devi was also awarded the Officier medallion by Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. Coming from a family of noted poets and novelists, Mahasweta Devi wrote about 100 novels and more than 20 short story collections in her lifetime. She headed movements against the CPI-M party in West Bengal over their violation of farmers and protested against the discrimination of tribal people. Born on 14 January 1926, she passed away in 2016 after a heart attack followed by multiple organ failure.
Mahasweta Devi's Top Stories On Screen
Sungharsh (1968)
Image Courtesy: www.munshimaniac.wordpress.com
Directed by Harnam Singh Rawail, this movie was based on Mahasweta Devi’s short story Layli Asmaner Ayna. The story was about a thuggee cult in Benaras headed by a powerful priest and how his grandson (Dilip Kumar) refuses to follow in his footsteps as the cult practices human sacrifice while robbing travellers to Benaras.
Rudaali (1993)
Image Courtesy: www.medium.com
Most of us have hummed the song Dil Hoom Hoom Kare at some point of time but did you know that the movie Rudaali was based on a story of the same name by Mahasweta Devi? Starring Dimple Kapadia in the titular role of a woman named Shanichari, who is followed by misfortune wherever she goes, the movie was directed by Kalpana Lajmi. Her iconic character was that of a professional mourner and the movie had other exemplary characters played by Rakhee, Sushmita Mukherjee and Mita Vashisht.
Read More: Bollywood 2019 – These Strong Female Roles Hint At A Remarkable Change
Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998)
Image Courtesy: www.youtube.com
From a professional mourner to the troubles of a Naxalite’s mother, Mahashweta Devi knew how to create characters that tugged at your soul and were very different from the typical female protagonists. Starring Jaya Bachchan, the movie, directed by Govind Nihalani, was based on the Bengali novel Hajar Churashir Maa about a mother who has to deal with the violent death of her Naxalite son.
Gangor (2010)
The issue of gang rape may have reverberated with the nation more after the December 16 Delhi gangrape incident but Mahashweta Devi wrote about it way back when the crime was hushed up and never saw the light of the media. This multilingual film, directed by Italo Spinelli was based on another of Devi’s short stories named Choli Ke Peechey. It showed how the picture of a breast-feeding woman named Gangor (Priyanka Bose) leads to backlash and her subsequent gang rape by policemen and how it affects her life.
Maati Maay (2007)
This Marathi language film was based on Devi’s story Baayen and directed by Chitra Palekar. The story revolves around a woman of lower caste who is traditionally part of a family of grave keepers. As part of her job, the protagonist Chandi (Nandita Das) has to bury dead children and is mentally affected by it. She eventually turns aggressive due to this as the villagers force her to continue her job.
Want to read more stories about women’s rights trailblazers, women who are making a difference or feminism? Then keep reading HerZindagi.