Nishant

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Movie
Original title Nishant
निशांत
Country of production India
original language Hindi
Publishing year 1975
length 143 minutes
Rod
Director Shyam Benegal
script Vijay Tendulkar
production Freni M. Variava
Mohan J. Bijlani
music Vanraj Bhatia
camera Govind Nihalani
cut Bhanudas
occupation

Nishant ( Hindi निशांत niśānt ; translated: "End of the night") is an Indian feature film by Shyam Benegal from 1975.

action

In an Indian feudal state in 1945, a jagirdar lives in a village with his three younger brothers on the family estate. Only the youngest is married; his wife also lives in the house.

The pujari (temple priest) comes to his temple in the morning and finds out that the goddess' temple decorations have been stolen. There he finds a necklace with a pendant.

Rukmani wakes up next to her husband Vishwam, the youngest brother of the jagirdar. She immediately notices that his necklace with pendant has disappeared. He lost her when he was in the temple with his older brothers Prasad and Anjaiya the previous night.

The Jagirdar, who initially had the village policeman sent to investigate the case, changes his approach under these circumstances. He declares the police incapable and recommends interviewing a clairvoyant instead. In a trance, he names a local tramp as the perpetrator. The Jagirdar insists on punishing the tramp personally with blows of the stick. Vishwam goes back to the temple to look for his necklace, but is surprised by the temple priest. Later, the jagirdar has his brother's golden necklace handed over by the priest.

A new schoolmaster comes to the village with his wife Sushila and their son and immediately clashes with Prasad and Anjaiya, whose path he accidentally blocked. The brothers are looking for a young woman and they find one. They regularly let young village women come into the house, where they pass according to the hierarchy, starting with the oldest brother - only Vishwam does not participate. The brothers make use of the farmers' goods arbitrarily and without consideration.

Since Vishwam first saw Sushila, he can no longer take his eyes off her. Prasad, who was the first to notice his brother's crush, kidnaps her together with Anjaiya straight from the schoolmaster's house, who cannot defend himself against the two men. Unsuccessfully, he pounds on the Jagirdar's gate and just as unsuccessfully speaks to the village policeman, the compliant peasants sell mouth monkeys and remain passive.

Sushila wakes up the next day as a prisoner in the jagirdar's house. The first thing she sees is Rukmani at morning prayers on the tulsi plant . Together with the domestic servant Pochamma, Rukmani takes care of Sushila. However, Pochamma Sushila quickly removes any hope of escape. The schoolmaster is also rejected by the Tehsil administration, by the judge and by the regional newspaper. In the evening, the two middle brothers molest with Sushila. Vishwam recoils at the sight of the tormented woman and Rukmani shows him her disapproval. But over time he only devotes his attention to Sushila and avoids Rukmani.

The schoolmaster is desperate, but surrenders to the hopeless situation. Sushila will soon also be set up according to the circumstances. When the two of them meet in the temple unexpectedly, she accuses her husband of not having done enough against the kidnapping and afterwards for a liberation. Sushila's position in the Jagirdar household as Vishwam's lover has become so strong that she even demands her own kitchen.

Suddenly there is gentle resistance in the village against the Jagirdar clan: they were not invited to the annual bull fight and the tires of their car were stabbed. The priest and the schoolmaster agitate the peasants against injustice and mobilize them against the oppressors. One day no servant comes to work at the Jagridar mansion. A great procession of the villagers comes from the temple to the house of the jagirdar. When the latter pays homage to the god, the schoolmaster attacks him and the farmers beat him to death with clubs. The revolt invades the house and Anjaiya, Prasad and Rukmani are lynched. Vishwam and Sushila escape, but the mob catches up with them and kills them before the schoolmaster can save his wife.

Others

The film was shot in the village of Pochampali in the Nalgonda district . The feudal state referred to in the film is obviously Hyderabad .

The art director was Shama Zaidi , the dialogues were written by Satyadev Dubey . The lyrics to the music of Vanraj Bhatia were written by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah , they were interpreted by Priti Moti Sagar .

The film was based on an original play by Vijay Tendulkar . Naseeruddin Shah made his film debut with Nishant and Amrish Puri established his image as a film villain, which was later extensively cultivated with this film.

criticism

“A deeply disturbing film that is unsettling and unsettling. Still, it's a film that won't let you go long after it's finished. "

- Ziya us Salam: Nishant (1975) in The Hindu of October 4, 2012

Awards

literature

  • Nishant . In: Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. , Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1999 revised edition, ISBN 0-85170-669-X , p. 425

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema, p. 425
  2. ↑ 39th Annual BFJA Awards ( Memento from January 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive )