by Nagraj Manjule
Teenager Jabya owns a pair of worn trousers, a threadbare shirt and a schoolbook. His family can afford little more. They belong to the ‘Dalits’, the lowest social status. The family is tolerated in the village, providing it submits to the higher castes and physically keeps the ‘unclean’ wild boar at bay. None of this prevents the dreamer Jabya from falling in love with Shalu, an upper caste girl. Determined to win her attention, the boy soon comes into conflict with the caste system and his own family. This multi award-winning, sensitive social drama is director Nagraj Manjule's demonstration against the ills of the Indian caste system.