Eminent author and social activist Mahasweta Devi is no more. After battling with illness since June last year, the 90-year-old Ramon Magsaysay Award-winner passed away on Thursday (July 28) afternoon at a private hospital in Kolkata.
ALSO READ: Mahasweta Devi, legendary writer-activist dies at 90
ALSO READ: Mahasweta Devi was a voice of the oppressed
The Padma Vibhushan-winner began writing in the mid-60s and since then, has written a number of notable novels, mostly dealing with the subjugation of the marginalised and the subaltern, such as Hajar Churashir Maa (Eng: Mother of 1084), Aranyer Adhikar (The Occupation of The Forest) and Titu Mir.
Besides writing, she has been a vocal social activist. She played an active role, among Kolkata's intellectuals, in spearheading the grassroots movement that brought the CPM (Communist Party of India) government down in the 2011 state assembly elections of West Bengal, following 2007's Nandigram violence and the Singur Tata Nano controversy.
A large number of filmmakers, both Indian and international, over the years, have been inspired by and adapted Mahasweta Devi's works. Here are some of the notable few:
Sunghursh (1968)
Dir: Harnam Singh Rawail
Based on short story Layli Asmaner Ayna, Sunghursh starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Balraj Sahni and Sanjeev Kumar is a story of revenge set amongst a Kali-worshipping thuggee cult in Varanasi. Rawail was very particular about the costumes and look of the film which was set in the 19th century. The film became a commercial success upon release and today is best known for its compelling dialogues by Gulzar and Abrar Alvi, and its music by Naushad.
Rudaali (1993)
Dir: Kalpana Lajmi
Rudaali was an exceptional character study starring Dimple Kapadia in the role of Shanichari, which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. The film was, again, based on a short story by Mahasweta Devi, and once again, Gulzar was involved with the screenplay - this time, as the screenwriter. Set in a small village in Rajasthan, the film revolves around the life and ordeal of Shanichari as a professional Rudaali or "weeping woman" - women of lower caste who publicly grieve for people of higher caste/status when an upper caste male dies.
Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998)
Dir: Govind Nihalani
The adaptation of Mahasweta Devi's novel Hajar Churashir Maa, based on 1970s Naxalite movement in Bengal by Indian parallel cinema's star director Govind Nihalani stars Jaya Bachchan as a mother who slowly comes to term with the truth about her deceased son Brati (Joy Sengupta) who happened to be a Naxalite before he was killed by the police. Featuring stellar performances by Jaya Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Seema Biswas and Nandita Das, the National Award-winning film is one of the best Indian films of all time.
Maati Maay (2007)
Dir: Chitra Palekar
The gloomy Marathi film is based on Mahasweta Devi's short story Baayen. The film revolves around a low-caste grave digger Chandi (Nandita Das) who has been ostracized by the villagers for being suspected to be a witch who apparently casts an evil eye on unsuspecting children and breastfeeds the dead children she buries as a part of her job. The film is a stinging indictment on the caste system in Indian villages, but that is because of the power of the story, and not the film's treatment which is mediocre at best.
Gangor (2010)
Dir: Italo Spinelli
Based on the short story Choli Ke Peeche, Gangor revolves around the titular character played by Priyanka Bose, who is spurned by the villagers when a picture of her breastfeeding her child is used for a news report. Consequently, she is violated psychologically, and soon, physically, when she is taken to a police station and gang -raped. The independent Italian production won the NETPAC Jury award at the 2011 Third Eye Asian Festival.
