Bandit Queen (1994) User Reviews

A shocking story, and more so because it's true

[infinitelyprolonged · 8/10 · 15 June 2005]

I saw Bandit Queen in 2005, over a decade after it was made amidst widespread controversy in India. The language, the stark treatment and the natural acting (by a relatively unknown cast for that time) might have been even more shocking at that time for an Indian populace more familiar with fantasy cinema. The film, the cast, and Shekhar Kapoor, deserve accolades for the breakthrough effort.

The plot is not very different from a typical revenge drama made in various forms in India. In fact, there have been several fictional accounts of this particular story itself. The reason why this stands out is that it's supposed to be a first person account of someone who actually went through all this, and a lot else that doesn't find place on the screen, and survived to tell the tale. Survived long enough to see her story made into a movie at least. Phoolan Devi didn't live very long after being released from prison in 1994.

The film scores on several counts. The cinematography is brilliant. The music is apt. The cast, many of whom became more familiar names later, is very good. But the screenplay is patchy. Things move too fast and in jerks at times. It's understandable though, because there are just too many strands that need to be tied together to make it all cohesive. Or maybe I felt that because I have read Mala Sen's book, which is a more detailed and better, though obviously not as shocking as the visual, account of Phoolan Devi's travails, and which is purported to be one of the main sources for the film.

There are some factual ambiguities too. According to Phoolan Devi, she wasn't present when the Behmai massacre took place, and despite claiming to be the dictated account of Phoolan herself, she is shown to participate, and in fact initiate, the massacre. Then the final scene where Phoolan surrenders shows her touching the feet of the Chief Minister, while in reality she had surrendered to a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. Symbolic value only, but shows that Phoolan didn't want to show servitude to a living, ordinary person. It would have been nice to show the Chief Minister to have some resemblance to Arjun Singh, who many remember was the CM of Madhya Pradesh then.

But these are small chinks in this eminently well-made movie, a rare gem to come out from the mainstream Indian film industry, made by a man who before this was known best for the ultimate masala movie of the late 80s - Mr India.

Good Movie

[fantastic_fop · 8/10 · 2 July 2003]

I think that the movie was really good. Subject, acting and Nusrat Fateh ALi Khan's music were marvellous. Although the director has succeeded in showing the status of women in rural areas and how they suffer at the hands of male-dominated culture, he has neglected Phoolan's character a bit and has focussed more on the violence faced by her.

"Any man that marries a little girl... I'll kill him."

[Bored_Dragon · 8/10 · 26 April 2019]

"Bandit Queen" is the true story of the legendary Phoolan Devi, who was something like Robin Hood of India. While the authorities persecuted her, the media made her famous. In order to avoid the death penalty in the case of capture, in 1983, she surrendered to the authorities, but after eleven years in prison she ran for parliament. She was assassinated in 2001.

The film has a problem with the scenario, some parts are false and in some places it seems hastily and piled up. In all other respects it is greatly made, but quite heavy and difficult.

8/10

Tough viewing

[bob the moo · 24 October 2001]

Phoolan Devi (played by Seema Biswas) is sold into marriage at 11 and is repeatedly abused from then onwards because she is a woman. She is partially liberated by Vikram Mallah (Nirmal Pandey), one of the bandits she is taken in by and eventually rises to lead the group, extracting vicious revenge on upper-cast men in repayment for what they had done to her.

The film is a fascinating account of the life of Phoolan Devi who was assassinated in September 2001. The film follows from rise (if you can call it that) from abused child to Bandit Queen. Scenes of abuse are tactfully portrayed with the focus on Phoolan's face rather than the act itself. This focus allows the viewer to see the pain that is inflicted by the abuse. This is still very hard to sit and watch be it the abuse by her husband at 11 or the gang rape of adulthood. It's sad that worldwide women are treated as second-class citizens, often subject to this type of terrible abuse as a matter of daily life - even sadder that many religions are interpreted to allow it.

Where the film is weak is the depiction of the two sets of violence - violence against Phoolan is shown as horrible and unforgivable as it should be, however her acts of retaliation are filmed with a more artistic camera and you get the feeling that we are meant to take it that these acts of violence are less horrible because they are revenge attacks. Many of those killed by Phoolan's gang had not done anything to her and were "innocent". The film should have a more even tone across all these actions.

The performances are roundly excellent. All characters no matter how repugnant or noble are played as totally believable - for many you see both sides of their characters. Seema Biswas is excellent as Phoolan Devi, she convinces throughout the film. The subject matter must have been very difficult to act through but she is without a flaw in the lead - the only problem being the slightly sympathetic edge towards her acts of revenge that the film gives.

The film is horrible viewing and yet inspiring that one woman could survive through such events in such a society. Phoolan lived with things that the vast majority of us will ever imagine, she rose up against amazing odds to marry above her caste and be elected to the Indian Parliament. Worth watching to help you be aware of the rest of the world and to ensure that you keep yourself kind towards others in all situations.

Long live Phoolan Devi. May she find more peace in death than she did in life.

Does anyone realise how controversial this film was?

[Yadokari · 9/10 · 7 July 2001]

It may interest people to know that this film was made without any recourse to Phoolan Devi herself and, when she did finally see parts of it, was so enraged that she announced that the film was not to be shown in India or she would cover herself in petrol and set fire to herself. I do not know whether it was shown at all or not, but given her standing at the time as a rising politician, I doubt it. Since then, I saw a report that she has been ousted from office and charged with further crimes from her Dacoit days, and has gone into hiding as a result.

Her own concerns aside, this is an excellent film, made all the more so by its refreshingly brutal approach; none of the rose-tinted melodrama one might expect from a typical indian film. It should be stressed that concerns about how feminist the film's messages really are and the like are essentially irrelevant: it's a true story. Her misgivings are, it seems, not with what is depicted but with the way in which the film depicts her.

full of strong emotion

[amzl · 10/10 · 29 July 2003]

I saw this movie over 5 years ago and the subject still infuriates me, as it should. Her anger and initiative were inspiring. Not that I would takeover an army and kill people, but the scene at the well and at the rebel strong hold will never leave my mind. This is a great film but be prepared for the strong subject matter.

Excellent, appreciable, and by no means entertaining

[Peter_Young · 7/10 · 18 April 2017]

Bandit Queen is a difficult film to go through. In the famous world of Bollywood's song and dance, this biographical feature is certainly a breath of fresh air in terms of storytelling and honest filmmaking. Shakhar Kapur handles the subject with great sensitivity and visible empathy towards the main character of Phoolan Devi, whose life story is impossible to even listen to. What this woman had to endure is beyond imagination and is harrowing to watch, but her survival is an inspiring triumph. Bandit Queen is disturbingly realistic, and I can totally understand those who don't like it, because we do not watch films to see reality, but rather to escape it. The movie is by no means entertaining, the story is bitter and excruciating, but there are many lessons one can learn from watching it and, at the very least, realise how privileged most of us are. The film is excellently acted, with Seema Biswas proving her mettle as an actor of extraordinary talent and compassion. Her portrayal is a world-class act on a level of its own, and she totally immerses herself in this most difficult role and life story. May no person ever have to go through what this woman went through to justify the making of a notable biopic of this sort. Kudos to Kapur for an impressive effort. Watch it if you can, expect zero entertainment and just treat it the way you treat documentaries. You might be impressed, if not rewarded.

No Bollywood here!

[DukeEman · 9/10 · 7 February 2003]

The true story of Phoolan Devi who became a national hero in India because she fought for her rights as a woman but in a violent manner. I was surprised to see a powerful film with strong images come out of India instead of the Bollywood art trash classics they churn out.

Great subject, average as a movie

[JuguAbraham · 7/10 · 7 September 2001]

The film's subject is poignant and very real. It happened. One can debate some artistic liberties taken by director and scriptwriter. The subject is what makes the film tick--nothing else. I saw the film for the first time after the real Phoolan, was gunned down in New Delhi and had served several years as an elected Member of Parliament in India. By the way, she was not the first untouchable elected to Parliament, as some reviewers stated. The so-called "untouchables" have been elected to the Indian Parliament for decades in reserved constituencies.

While Shekhar Kapur as a director is a hero to many India, because he made commercially accepted international films---"Bandit Queen" and "Elizabeth" (and a tolerable kiddie movie called "Mister India", which was accepted by the average Indian audiences)---and even got Oscar nominations for Elizabeth, I do not place him as a top notch film director from India. He fails in every department as a director except perhaps that he succeeds in getting some above-average performances from his actors. Subtlety, finesse, charm are not easy to find in his films--melodrama brims in them.

His idea of using Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's vocal rendering of the song in the early parts of the film, was perhaps his single major achievement on the undistinguished sound track of "Bandit Queen". And then perhaps the creaking doors during the gang rape sequence. Otherwise the film looked like a spaghetti western with sex and violence minus the great music one associates with them.

If you are looking for a good living Indian film director who makes realistic cinema of international quality--it is not Shekhar Kapur's movies you should see; it is the later works of three Indian film-makers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, and Girish Karnad and of course Muzaffar Ali's "Umrao Jaan". It is unfortunate that none of those directors had the financial support that Kapur had to give them and their films an international viewership. For instance, Sen's "Oka oorie katha" made in Telugu, or Satyajit Ray's "Sadgati" based on Munshi Prem Chand's "Kafan" are more complete as films to an intelligent viewer dealing on the state of the untouchables in India. Sen did not have to resort to graphic sex and violence but merely suggested them. Of course, Sen's nugget did not make headlines, while Kapur's effort hogged them.

To Kapur's credit, he is articulate and used his limited talent and modest resources in the Mumbai film industry to take his products beyond home audiences. For that effort, I salute Kapur. But "Bandit Queen" will remain a great subject awaiting an accomplished director to deal with it.

Excellent

[franco-28 · 10/10 · 9 December 1999]

This is an excellent movie. Phoolan had no role model's to base her actions on, yet was able to bring about very necessary change to a land that was living in darkness when it comes to female treatment. I like the fact that it was a real story rather than made up, it added to the horror of the story, & the triumph.

Bandits

[sol- · 6/10 · 12 August 2017]

Based on the true story of a woman who rose from poverty and child abuse to become a respected outlaw and folk hero, 'Bandit Queen' tells a fascinating slice of an Indian history, even if Phoolan Devi herself (whose life is depicted) has disputed the film's accuracy. Set during the 1970s and 1980s, the antiquated values of villages where Devi grew up are striking, with child marriages a norm and women viewed as second class citizens, and the film has much power as a tale of overcoming circumstance. The film is, however, also incredibly slow- moving and while there are some well-handled abuse and torture scenes early on, it is only in the second half of the film that the story really becomes juicy with Devi deciding to fight back and become her own warrior. There is a particularly effective sequence in the final half hour in which the reactions of a baby girl convey all during a massacre. As mentioned though, there is something to be said for the restraint of the film's earlier abuse scenes, none of which are graphic. The swinging of a door open and closed is all that the filmmakers need here to convey the horrors of gang rape and the way the camera stays very much at a distance avoids a scene in which she is stripped turning exploitative. In short, this is a well-made film; sure, a little too slow-moving for its own good, but one hard to erase from the mind afterwards.

The hard hitting tale of a murderer messiah

[metallicmoor · 10/10 · 13 April 2009]

Irrespective of the accuracy of facts, Bandit Queen is a true story, its true because the themes it deals with hold as much truth today as they did way back in 1994. This movie is violent, powerful and thought provoking.The protagonist is a woman of flesh and blood, whose adversity brought out the best(or worst) out of her. Keeping the subjectivity aside, there is no doubt that Phoolan's character from a young girl of 8, who is married off by her father to clear a debt(pun intended), to a gang leader who goes on to become a leader of the lower caste, has evolved into a champion in her own right. Her portrayal is so powerful that the viewer is even willing to forgive her for a massacre.

I can understand if the western audience is not able to appreciate this masterpiece, Bandit Queen needs to be 'studied' in the Indian context, and not just checked out in stereotypes. I may not be able to sell it on its universal appeal but its certainly a must watch for the Indian audience, its a shame that the movie had a delayed, overtly censored release in India.

Bandit Queen is the story of a woman who fought against two odds in India, being a woman and that too a lower caste, her rebellious nature and inability to just give in caused her the most horrible experiences in life, which only went on to strengthen her into a self proclaimed goddess. She responded to violence with violence and dint become the submissive woman society wanted her to be. Call it divine justice or judiciary failure, had she killed a single person she would have been hanged, she killed 24 and got revered, respected and glorified.

P.S # Whoever found her character "psychotic", needs to be sodomized at 8, gangraped by 10 men at a go and paraded naked. Then they should be asked- How normal do they feel?

Diary to scene

[cinish · 6/10 · 9 October 2012]

Having seen a number of Bandit movies, this one offered the true story of 'Phoolan Devi' but there was not a lot of new content. The movie does not work too well actually. Phoolan kills 24 innocent thakurs out of hatred for two thakurs and finally has to surrender due to heavy police attention. When Phoolan surrenders, the crowd cheers but why? The movie does not show Phoolan doing a lot for the people. Phoolan belongs to Mallah community and that is perhaps the reason for the support as I presume the Mallah community is quite big. The movie also shows Phoolan' s hatred for her husband but does not convince us why there should be such deep hatred. There are minimal scenes of Phoolan's bandit action too. The movie might have restricted itself to the notes from Phoolan's jail diary which in itself might have been incomplete. Well, that is something that the movie maker needs to handle and complete.I think I liked 'Paan Singh Tomaar' better which was a more complete portrayal.

Premature Film based on Premature Book

[peculiar2 · 4/10 · 3 April 2005]

As powerful as the true story of Phoolan is, this book this film is based on came out before she herself was released from Prison and had the chance to tell it.

It is allegedly based on her diaries but she is illiterate. How does that work?

That said, some areas of he film are accurate and the acting isn't bad, with some sensitivity being shown.

Really though this story needs to be old in a TV series. Far to much happens to cram into a couple of hours.

Read her autobiography. Highly recommended. It is a fantastic story.

Phoolan Devi, Bandit Queen

[Benedict_Cumberbatch · 16 April 2010]

"Bandit Queen" is a controversial and groundbreaking Indian film (co-produced by Great Britain's "Channel Four") telling the real-life story of Phoolan Devi (Seema Biswas, excellent), a low-caste woman given to a husband at age 11 who runs away from him, is constantly violated by upper-caste males, until pairing with a handsome outlaw, Vikram Mallah (Nirmal Pandey), who shows her some respect and invites her to join his gang. Devi became a mythical national figure in her own lifetime (she had just been released from an 11-year prison term when the movie came out, and was murdered in 2001), hailed as "The Bandit Queen" or "Queen of the Ravines". Although at first Devi took legal action to ban the movie's exhibition in India (and it was actually banned for some time - after all, this is no Bollywood fantasy), she eventually changed her mind (plus, Channel Four paid her $60,000...).

A lot has been said about the accuracy of everything portrayed on screen ("My life was much harder", Devi would have said after the first time she saw the movie). Just like he would do in 1998's successful "Elizabeth", Shekhar Kapur knows how to turn a larger than life, actual trajectory in a huge spectacle - but still keeping the essence of its core. Truth be told, this is one of those extraordinary sagas that if even half of what's portrayed on screen is real, it's already quite a journey. Kapur might have been a high-caste, city-bred man trying to portray the life of a brave and rebellious low-caste woman fighting for her survival - in a way that no other woman in her time had done, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know or doesn't have the right to try to depict this reality he doesn't directly belong to. How honest Kapur's original intentions were we can't know for sure, but that doesn't undermine his accomplishment here; this is a story that had to be told to a larger international audience. If a movie manages to work both as an adventurous spectacle and a tale of resurgence after national injustice and misfortunes, then it deserves to be seen. 8.5/10.

A Perfect BIOPIC.

[MandalBros-5 · 8/10 · 24 August 2021]

In 1994, some of the best actors came together for the first time in a film with the director of Masoom and Mr. India and the result of this collaboration was Bandit Queen. But, it was not the strongest point of the film, the strongest point was the real life story of Phoolan Devi.

Shekhar Kapur is the director who can direct any genre with perfection. This is the film that gifted us some of the best actors & filmmakers working right now. Ram Gopal Verma casted Manoj Bajpayee in Satya after watching his performance in Bandit Queen. This won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Actress for Seema Biswas.

Available on YouTube & MX Player.

© MandalBros.

Fantastic movie but should have been accurate

[bharalinikhil · 9/10 · 15 October 2018]

Read any article or ask someone personally and you will begin to feel that a typical Indian audience likes to watch a movie which is away from reality so that they don't have to think about the problems and hardships of life. In reality, if you watch this movie and give your full attention to it, your views might change too.

The best part about the movie is its Realism, about rural life and how harsh and cruel people can be. These are some things that a typical audience tries to avoid but the filmmaker did not shy away from showing them.

Acting - For the calibre that she has, Seema Biswas is really underrated. Her portrayal of the entire Character Arc is so believable. From when she was a simple village girl to the point where she became a Bandit. The best parts of her acting were in her rape scenes, which is either due to Amazing Direction or good use of imagination that it gets so close to truth.

Direction - Shekhar Kapur previously directed Mr. India, a mainstream film with a mythical plot while this film deals with reality. A sign of a Good Director is versality in his films which the man has proved. His ability to direct versatile films might be the reason he is currently in Hollywood.

Cinematography - Wide Shots, Close Ups, Top Shots, name any of it, they are there. But the use of immense bright light in the day and almost non-electrical sources like lanterns and candles at night was a brilliant execution.

Production Design - There is no doubt that the villages used might have really been in Rajasthan and were shown to be in UP. But no one has a doubt because go anywhere in North India and every rural area might actually look very similar.

Music - The film mainly has background music but have been used in the correct emotional time. Also, if you listen closely during the Temple Scene, you'll notice that the tune of "Sanu Ek Pal Chain Na Aave" is playing in the background. This is because the Music Composer of this movie is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The tune of this song was later adapted in the movie Raid and was sung by Nusrat's brother Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Overall, the film deserved a 10 on 10 but I'm taking 1 star away due to some facts I've come to know about the movie. The movie has sold itself as a true story, it did not say it is "Based on a True Story", it said it "Was" a true story. While in reality, it was adapted from a book of the same name and that book did talk about the life of Phoolan Devi in a more accurate way but neither did that book claim to be true.

Also, if you research the real Phoolan Devi's life, it turns out that she was part of a Land Dispute with her cousin and she also went to jail for that. She also went to jail multiple times after that. But none of this has been shown in the movie.

For these two reasons, it's a 9/10

Classic Bollywood Flick

[sydneyswesternsuburbs · 10/10 · 22 May 2015]

Director Shekhar Kapur has created a gem in Bandit Queen.

Starring Seema Biswas who has also been in another classic bollywood flick, Company 2002.

Also starring Nirmal Pandey.

Also starring Rajesh Vivek.

Also starring Raghuvir Yadav who has also been in another classic bollywood flick, Salaam Bombay! 1988.

I enjoyed the violence.

If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic Bollywood flicks, The Attacks of 26/11 2013, Rakhta Charitra 2010, Rakhta Charitra 2 2010, Nh10 2015, Madras Café 2013, Black Friday 2004, D-Day 2013, Gangs of Wasseypur Parts 1 & 2 2012, Hotel Mumbai 2019, Mumbai Saga 2021 and Shootout at Lokhandwala 2007.

Also check out a classic Lollywood flick, Waar 2013.

Phoolan, the victor

[videorama-759-859391 · 9/10 · 1 June 2023]

What's amazingly horrific about this great film, is that it's true. That's the feeling you'll get all through. Phoolan's life, was one of suffering, you feel so much for her. Ridiculed by the town people, abused by the men, and a child bride, she was frowned upon. She had a rep, as a whore, when a young girl, but we are never shown this, which could be hearsay. What I loved about Phoolan was her independence, and how she turned the tables on two awful figures, former abusers, and their party, in a brutal bloodshed, sweet revenge moment, where I truly rooted for her. Her uncle, and former husband, stuck by her, and I really admired this. She became a hero. The relationship between her and an older long haired Dev Patel looking guy, too I admired, formerly one of her tormenters. Bandit Queen is well acted and riveting, with, beautiful visual locations. It's near end music score, played over the massacre scene is haunting. This film, you won't forget in a hurry.

A must watch biographical drama!!

[sauravjoshi85 · 8/10 · 12 January 2022]

Bandit Queen is a biographical film based on the life of Late Phoolan Devi. The film is directed by Shekhar Kapur and stars Seema Biswas, Late Nirmal Pandey, Saurabh Shukla, Manoj Bajpayee and Govind Namdev.

The best part of the film is it's brilliant acting, realistic, superb screenplay and a perfect ending. Shekhar Kapur is been brilliant in his direction and captured even a smallest details with utmost perfection.

Acting is brilliant and almost all the characters were spot on but I would like to give a special emphasis on the acting of Late Nirmal Pandey, he spread a different positivity whenever he was onscreen, Hindi film industry is indeed unlucky to lost this gem so early.

There are very few biographical drama is being made in Hindi film industry which is closer to the reality, this is one of them and a must watch recommended.

Everything but "true"!!!

[sshekhr · 1/10 · 18 September 2007]

This movie is everything but the true story of Phoolan Devi. Director Shekhar Kapoor's claims are countered by the fact that he made the entire movie without even once meeting Phoolan Devi, on whose life this movie is supposed to be based! The excuse being that meeting the woman would have interfered with director's conception of the story! The film wastes the opportunity of sensitizing the society of the plight of low-caste women in the Indian society and ends up as a stereotype portraying Phoolan Devi as an angry woman whose sole motivation is revenge. No wonder, this Shekhar Kapoor's film was successful in the west as it catered to their non-bollywood tastes!

violent, powerful and repugnant

[looie · 24 May 1999]

This is a remarkable movie. "The Bandit Queen" is a powerful and repugnant portrayal of a modern real-life Indian outlaw, Phoolan Devi ("Goddess of Flowers"). The movie opens at the point at which the 11 year-old Phoolan is sold as a bride to a middle-aged man. The marital rape and abuse that follows drives her away and eventually, as an outcast, into a life of brigandage.

What I found most striking in this movie is that it does not portray the heroine merely as a "wronged woman" but as a woman with deep psychological problems -- to me she frequently appeared to be downright psychotic. There are several scenes of unbridled, I might say X-rated, violence in which Phoolan is seen to gradually wind up from anger to viciousness. In one of these scenes she beats her former husband with a rifle butt. It was -- and I think it was meant to be -- sickening.

"The Bandit Queen" was very controversial in India. It was widely thought to be Oscar material, though apparently did not make the list due to political infighting within the Indian movie-making community. It's well worth the viewing. But I only recommend it for people with strong stomachs. It's a true story (the real-life Phoolan Devi went on to marry above her caste and became the first Untouchable to serve in the Indian Parliament) but it's a story without a happy ending.

Epic biographical movie..!

[kamalbeeee · 10/10 · 5 March 2021]

The movie about poolan devi who was encounter her rapist animals... And this movie speaks about caste problem and child marriage in indian village.. We should have strong heart to watch this movie.. Handsoff to the Director and all castings.. Must watch movie...

Not a movie a journey, a lesson

[abhaykumar-07857 · 10/10 · 1 July 2019]

There lived such strong personalities 💪💪. This is pain and suffering, not a breakup. All must watch and learn

a controversial story of misogyny and the caste system

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 24 May 2022]

I had never heard of Phoolan Devi before watching Shekhar Kapur's "Bandit Queen". No sooner had I watched it, I read that Devi denounced inaccuracies in the movie, while Arundhati Roy complained that Kapur made it without Devi's permission.

Whatever the case, the movie does show the predominance of the caste system in India, and the misogyny that comes with it. There's some pretty brutal stuff here. No wonder Devi rebelled against it.

I guess that the movie works as an introduction to Devi and her commitment to justice. Worth seeing in that sense. Shekhar Kapur went on to direct "Elizabeth" starring Cate Blanchett, while Phoolan Devi got assassinated in 2001.