Kamli (2006 film)

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Kamli
Directed by K.N.T. Sastry
Written by K. N. T. Sastry
Produced byApoorva Chitra
B.C. Hari Charanaprasad
Sukanya
Starring Nandita Das
Tanikella Bharani
Shafi
L.B. Sriram
Roopa Devi
Cinematography Sunny Joseph
Edited by Beena Paul
Music by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally
Release date
  • 2006 (2006)
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu

Kamli is a 2006 Telugu film directed by K. N. T. Sastry. The film stars Nandita Das in the title role of a Lambada girl. The film's lyrics were written by Suddala Ashok Teja. The film was showcased at the Busan International Film Festival in Korea and the Asian Film Festival in Mumbai. [1]

Contents

Plot

Kamli tackles the issues of the sale of the girl child (rampant in the community) and the swapping of the male child, a practice fairly common in the urban areas—particularly in the hospitals.

Kamli (Nandita Das) is the focal point of the tale. She is forced to sell her firstborn girl. It is a well-known fact that the girl child is not welcome in most Indian communities and amongst the Lambadas she is considered an ill omen. The boys are wanted as they feed their parents. One gets a peek into her life, how she is married to Redya (Shafi), her toil for a job, how she puts up with an alcoholic husband, how she faces the 'contractors' and other men folk who have lecherous designs on her and so on.

When she delivers a male child, her infant is swapped, and a girl child is placed instead. This incident forces her to fight for her son. The media's role (in the building of hype of Kamli's fight), her dharna and the subsequent outcome with some melodrama are portrayed in a stereotypical manner.

Cast

Awards

Inspiration

Kamli was inspired by a K.N.T. Sastry's award-winning documentary harvesting babies. Sastry wanted to make a feature film based on the documentary about the plight of tribal women selling their babies for a pittance. He contacted and wanted to film with Soundarya as the main female lead of Kamli, but she died in a helicopter crash, and the role went to Nandita Das.

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References

  1. "Banjara Times: Voice of Goaars of India". Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2012.