Samar

Samar, chosen as the best Indian film of 1999, is an indictment of the caste system within Indian society, that regards parts of the population as inferior or even ignores them on the basis of their birth. A film crew leaves for Bundelkhand to make a film about an incident that took place eight years before and that found its origins in the battle between different castes. As the film-in-the-film progresses, parallels become apparent between events within the film crew itself. With his film Benegal wants to belie the myth that the caste system can only be found in the most backward areas of India, but no longer exists in modern, urban society. In Samar he shows that the caste system can be expressed in different forms, but is present everywhere. Caste consciousness is inextricably bound up with the nature of the Indian, almost as if it were in the genes. Education, upbringing and profession do not make prejudice and caste awareness disappear, on the contrary. The problem is even more difficult to solve because it can be found at all levels, right into politics and the administration. In his flexibly told parallel story, Benegal gives a subtle picture of the nature, origins and complexity of caste conflicts in India.