Fandry ( The Pig) is a 2013 Indian Marathi-language film, written and directed by Nagraj Manjule
The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the MAMI Film Festival.[ "Golden Dream, Fandry win top prizes at Mumbai Film Festival". screendaily.com.] The film was released theatrically on Valentine's Day 2014.[ "Fandry to release on 150 screens in February". DearCinema.com.] At the 61st National Film Awards, it won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.
Plot
In the village of
Akolner, a pre-teen named Jambhuvant Kachru Mane, nicknamed Jabya (Somnath Awghade), lives in a makeshift house on the outskirts of a caste-segregated village with his parents and two older sisters (one a widow with a toddler). The family belongs to the
Kaikadi people, an oppressed caste, and earns a living by doing menial jobs. Owing to the caste-ridden power structure of the village society, the boy's father has a fearful and submissive personality which is exploited by upper-caste villagers.
Jabya is disillusioned by the predicament of his family and shows interest in school where he has also fallen in one-sided love with a forward caste girl named Shalini, nicknamed Shalu (Rajeshwari Kharat), who he has never talked to but tries desperately to get her to notice him. He, along with his school friend Pirya (Suraj Pawar) and armed with a slingshot, spends time after school trying to catch a black sparrow in the wilderness. However, the bird call that punctuates the film is that of the red-wattled lapwing ( titawi), which is supposed to bring bad luck. The black sparrow, with its distinctive forked tail, and the call of the red wattled lapwing occur repeatedly throughout the film.
Jabya also befriends a bicycle mechanic named Chankya (Nagraj Manjule) who sees his young self in the boy. Chankya had once married a wealthy, upper-caste girl, but she was soon forcefully taken away by her brother, who beat him very badly. Since then he has renounced family life and taken up refuge in spirituality, mysticism and liquor. Jabya seeks support from Chankya in his quest to obtain his love, which Chankya readily extends.
Back in the village, Jabya's family members comply as they are exploited and dehumanized by the villagers over and over again. A marriage proposal arrives for Jabya's sister and his father agrees to pay a ₹20,000 dowry to the groom's family, placing further financial stress on the family. He is eventually contracted to kill a pig that has been rampaging the village by its upper-caste members, who see it as a bad omen. This requires the help of the whole family, deeply embarrassing Jabya as they have to chase the pig in front of his classmates, including Shalu.
The embarrassment too much to bear, he hides in an alley, refusing to help his family. There, he finally spots the black sparrow, and his objective becomes clear: according to a local legend, it is believed that when the ash obtained by burning the black sparrow is sprinkled on someone, it hypnotizes them to fall in love with the person sprinkling it. The idea, however, is executed only in Jabya's dream—his father finds him and chases away the bird, then beats him publicly.
In the film's climax, the family catches the pig as they are jeered at and harassed. In the procession following immediately, the taunts and insults towards Jabya intensify, including calling him " fandry", meaning pig in the Kaikadi language. Generally composed up to this point, he finally explodes in rage, dropping the pig and starting to throw rocks at his oppressors. In the final shot of the film, he throws a rock directly at the camera, subtly Fourth wall.
Cast
-
Somnath Awghade as Jambuwant Kachru Mane (Jabya), the protagonist, a dalit teenager, fighting his societal expectations while harboring his impossible love with a classmate of another caste.
-
Suraj Pawar as Piraji (Pirya), Jabya's loyal and compassionate friend through the film.
-
Chhaya Kadam as Nani, Jabya's grandmother, focused on tradition and stern affection, often clashing with Jabya's dreams
-
Kishor Kadam as Kachru Mane (Nana),
-
Rajeshwari Kharat as Shalini (Shalu), Jabya's love interest, she is a sweet and kind girl, who symbolizes his want for a better life beyond the restrictions of caste.
-
Bhushan Manjule as Dada Patil, is a demanding and powerful figure in the village, that perpetuates the social hierarchies and caste system.
-
Nagraj Manjule as Chankeshwar Sathe (Chankya)
-
Sohail Shaikh as Sangram
-
Sanjay Chaudhri as Teacher
-
Vikas Pandurang Patil as Navhi
-
Prashant Kamble
-
Jyoti Subhash
-
Suhas Sirsat
-
Moinuddin Inamdar as the Principal
-
Pooja Dolas as Vedant's mother
-
Shruti Awate as Rani
-
Sakshi Vyavhare as Dhurpa
-
Pravin Tarde as Sarpanch, the village head
-
Suresh Vishwakarma as Patil
Release
The film released all over Maharashtra on 14 February 2014
and it was released in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa along with 12 states on 28 February 2014.
[ "`फँड्री`नं ओलांडली भाषेची सीमारेषा!". 24taas.com.] Fandry was released in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the
Gulf Countries; subsequently, it was released digitally in 110 countries.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album of
Fandry received positive reviews from critics globally. The composers, a duo of brothers called Ajay-Atul, specialize in Indian film scores and are from Maharashtra.
Awards and festivals
Official selections:
|
|
|
|
| Mumbai International Film Festival | Best Film | |
| BFI London Film Festival | Best Film | N/A |
| Abu Dhabi Film Festival | Best Film | N/A |
| International Children's Film Festival of India | Best Film | N/A |
| International Film Festival of India | Best Film | N/A |
| "Fandry – Timeline Photos >Facebook". facebook.com. | Best Film | N/A |
Pune International Film Festival[ Pune International Film Festival Award winners] | Best Film, Best Film (Audience), Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor | |
| "Nagraj Manjule – FIPRESCI India-Film Critics Award >Facebook". facebook.com. | Best Film (2013) | |
| "Fandry – Timeline Photos >Facebook". facebook.com. | Best Film | N/A |
| "Fandry – 'Fandry' wins hearts at the Kerala Film Festival... >Facebook". facebook.com. | Best Film | N/A |
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles[ "Fandry the official selection at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles". The Times of India.] | Best Indian feature film | |
| "Fandry – Cover Photos >Facebook". facebook.com. | Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Child Artist, Best Script, Best Editor | |
| "Nagraj Manjule – Mobile Uploads >Facebook". facebook.com. | Best Director | |
Reel Asian Film Festival 2014[ "Reel Asian Film Festival 2014 Awards Announced!" . reelasian.com.] | National Bank Best First Feature Film Award | |
| "Fandry – Photos from Fandry's post >Facebook". facebook.com. | Outstanding Film in Social Category 2014 | |
National Award[ "National Film Awards: List of winners" . NDTVMovies.com.] | Best Debut (Director), Best Child Actor | |
Notes
External links
