Phoolan and I

Shekhar Kapur, the critically acclaimed director, whose Bandit Queen was a screen adaptation of Phoolan Devi and her life, reminisces about her:

I liked one thing about Phoolan -- her lack of vindictiveness.

The same woman who was raped and victimised by the society was full of life. I liked the childlike optimism about life in her.

The enormity of inequality in the lower caste is huge. And Phoolan represented that class which oppressed women. That anger in her forced me to make a film on her.

I openly confronted the caste system, which angered a lot of people.

My anger arose from the guilt in the fact that none of them resented it. That anger made me take action by making a film to represent a life through Phoolan's character.

Phoolan died for a cause -- there has to be a purpose for this -- and will definitely go down in history. I am sure a lot of people will learn from her death.

ALSO READ
Seema Biswas on meeting Phoolan Devi
The Complete Coverage: Phoolan Devi Murder