When a man is found dead in the sewers of Mumbai, a culprit is quickly identified: Narayan Kamble. This social-activist poet, who spreads his message in working-class areas, supposedly encouraged the man to commit suicide. In court, the lawyer Vinay Vora Kamble defends Kamble in this strange case. He faces public prosecutor Nutan, who cites age-old laws and applies them to this case without any trace of empathy. In the meantime, the judge seems primarily interested in following the correct procedures.
In this hyper-realistic drama filled with static shots, Chaitanya Tamhane sketches how the rigid legal system wrestles with antique laws and their interpretation. Tamhane follows his protagonists, played by both professional and amateur actors, inside the courthouse and out, where he sketches their everyday lives apparently without commentary. These detached scenes provide a sharp insight into the Indian caste system, which is still alive and kicking. With Brave Talk on Tue 27-1 in the theatre of LantarenVenster
Film details
- Country of production
- India
- Year
- 2014
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2015
- Length
- 116'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
