The Bandit Queen, by Deepak Verma
BBC Radio 4: The Monday Play
Broadcast: Monday 20th February 1995 @ 7:45 p.m.
The true story of Phoolan Devi (1963-2001), an illiterate woman from the wilds of India who became a folk heroine and an international figure.
Phoolan Devi was born in India to the lowest caste, a group with few rights and even fewer prospects. Enduring cruel poverty, she survived
the humiliation of an abusive marriage, the savage killing of her bandit-lover, and a horrifying gang rape to claim retribution for herself and all
low-caste women of the Indian plains. In a three-year campaign that rocked the government, she delivered justice to rape victims and stole
from the rich to give to the poor, before negotiating surrender on her own terms.
With Nisha K. Nayar [Phoolan Devi], Saeed Jaffrey [Rajendra Chaturvedi, the Police Superintendent of Bhind District], Paul Bhattacharjee
[Vikram Mallah, Gujar's Lieutenant], Dhirendra [Man Singh], Surendra Kochar [Moola, Phoolan's Mother], Bhasker [Baba Mustakim, a
Dacoit Gang Leader], Kulvinder Ghir [Madho], Yogesh Bhatt [Babu Gujar, a Dacoit Gang Leader], Siddiqua Akhtar [Rukmini, Phoolan's
Elder Sister], Rajiv Mukker [Shiv], and Madhav Sharma [The Chief Minister].
Other parts played by members of the company.
Original music composed and played by The West India Company.
The singer was Gauri Bapat.
Directed by Claire Grove.
90 minutes.
Jim
