‘Films should be for the masses. They should reach people’, says Kavitha Lankesh, whose first feature film, Deveeri, has already won three awards.

THE movie depicts the love/hate relationship between 12 year old Kyatha and his elder sister, Deveeri. Deveeri (played by Nandita Das, star of Deepa Mehta’s Fire) turns to prostitution to help her family Deveerisurvive. Although Kyatha loves his sister, he is deeply revolted by her once his eyes are opened to her occupation and the seediness surrounding their lives.

The story is based on Kavitha’s late father’s book Akka (Sister). Her father got the idea for the story when he met a little boy in the park who told him, ‘It’s been four days since my sister returned home. That bitch!’ The boy then proceeded to tell him his life story, which formed the basis for the book. Kavitha, who also wrote the script, remained faithful to her father’s work.

Unlike the majority of Bollywood films there is no hysteria or neat resolution. ‘The movie doesn’t really have a story as such. There’s no real beginning, middle and end. It’s more like an experience or journey.’

This is what is so striking about the film. It shows the everyday life of a poor child in a positive light. This choice was a daring one as Kavitha could have easily dramatised the misery and poverty in the film. Instead, she chose to glide over it.

‘I don’t like depressing movies and I don’t like slow paced films – the supposedly arty films in India. I’m completely against it because it doesn’t relate to the current generation.’

Instead of showing the grime and poverty, Kavitha focuses on the conflicted relationship between brother and sister and the theme of corruption — whether it is in the educational system, political system or movie business.

Deveeri also stands out because it’s a liberating film for women. Many serious films discussing poverty and corruption depict women as helpless and abused. In this film women are prostitutes by choice — because they can earn more that way and enjoy a relatively better lifestyle.

Kyatha as a role is pivotal, as we see the events unfold through his eyes. Kavitha has said this was a deliberate: (He) … is a witness to the incidents that are unravelling in front of him. He’s playing many roles but in a very standing outside looking in kind of way.”

The movie script mimics reality since Manja (the little boy chosen for the part of Kyatha) was an actual child taken off the streets. Even more eerie was that Manja’s mother was a prostitute in real life and died during the filming of Deveeri.

Made on a relatively low budget (a mere £70,000), Deveeri does an excellent job of portraying the life in the slums. Shot in a slum in Bangalore, the close-ups and narrow streets capture the claustrophobic and ‘no privacy’ feeling of living in cramped conditions. The end result is a thought-provoking and emotionally colourful film.