"Even though this story is based on a real-life incident that happened in north lndia, all other aspects of the film is fictitious" "No person dead or alive have been portrayed or characterized based on the incident" "Hey watch!" "Where you are going!" "Out...to kill people!" "Where are you racing to?" "Can't you say even a sorry?" "Are you rushing to kill or to eat?" "Greetings Was your journey comfortable?" "Talk in Malayalam my boy You have lost a lot of hair" "Don't you get medicated coconut oil here?" "If you want Neelibhringadi (oil) she can prepare some for you" "She hasn't forgotten its recipe" "Sure!" "We don't get such things here like we do in our home towns" "Are you sure you didn't have any trouble?" "Joseph had called just now" "I am very hungry" "The food in the train was not so good" "There is a eatery here belonging to our brother from Palakkad...careful!" "We get even our own onion chutney there" "I want rice Dalma and mora And if it's hot, a chana poda" "How far is it to Ganjam?" "About 200 KM About 4 hours away" "Do the flames of the haystack during Agni Pournami still fall eastward?" "They are old traditions, isn't it?" "There is nothing like that now in Ganjam Harvesting is done by machines" "Probably that's why the news papers write only about the starvations in Oriyan villages" "What's this trip for?" "A second honeymoon in this old age, eh?" "There are many reasons which I'll tell you later" "For the time being look forward and drive Nila" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""...of new born moonbeams on my mystical veena"" ""Amidst heartbeats, like rhythms of spring"" ""Foreign lands beyond reach, so far, far away"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""As a stranger sang untouched by tears"" ""Along these paths we travelled without parting"" ""On these bare sandy deserts with no roads"" ""Drenched in waves of love, come be my partner"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" "The fragrance of Oriyan earth" "Doesn't it smell the same every where?" "It smells different here, Nila" "A lot of tears and blood has been shed here" "Nostalgia has gripped your head" "Shall I stop for a while?" "Yes, stop for sometime We are not in a hurry, are we?" ""ln days to come, as time weaves a tale"" ""Pains disappear, a single night spent together"" ""On these lands where memories rush in"" ""Life burns in scorching heat of summer of love"" ""Come as a wave, as a bright beacon of light"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""...of new born moonbeams on my mystical veena"" ""Amidst heartbeats, like rhythms of spring"" ""Foreign lands beyond reach, so far, far away"" "These rails that go neither forward nor backward are the tracks that memories now travel on" "Love would have ended here on these railway tracks" "But for the goods train that happened to come at that time" "It was a freezing cold night in winter and a full moon" "Even though heaven and earth was frozen with cold memories of that night remain fresh and alive" "I am hungry, sir Sir..." "I'm hungry" "Either eat whatever you can find Or concentrate on your job" "Don't die, get up!" "Like father taught us, word of honor is more important" "Get up and go fulfill your word of honor" "The hillock has reached the sky" "Have you given your hay stack, Suneyi?" "No father!" "I don't want to die whatever the circumstances" "You are a beautiful girl like golden wheat" "Why don't you smile?" "I am your watch dog, my girl I will remain with you till I die!" "Oriya girl with the complexion of wheat" "'This land called Kalinga is what we know as Odisha/Orissa today'" "'A land where undercurrents of religion, love lust and superstitions flow' ' 5000 years old it is yet another heritage of northern lndia'" "'Even though the world was growing this village called Ganjam never grew' 'lt is from here, about 35 years back this story begins'" "'Among the Gonds of Ganjam, Sundara panday and Ratnavalli...' 'who lived singing devotional songs...' '...to Govinda Chandra Srirama, had 2 lovely daughters'" "'Chandrabhage and Suneya'" "'Although devadasis( married to God)' 'known as Maharis of Puri Jagannath were unlawful'" "'Yet Jagannaths of modern times also desired those girls for themselves'" "'Like a statue come alive from Konarks sculptures, Chandrabhaga...' '..." "lives in the inner rooms of Kamadeva Pradhan's palace'" "As the day cold weather is bid goodbye and warm days welcomed on Agni Pournami... '..." "Suneyi who will be 18 years old, is also destined' '...to be the sacrificial victim to this age old custom of lust'" "'This is not the tale of Ganjam alone...' '...but the tragic tale of every woman who live on pavements'" "You'd have heard about me" "I used to be a river" "Chandrabhaga" "Who is there in Orissa who wouldn't have at least once in his life time, not taken a dip in me, saluting the rising sun?" "Although I flowed close to the sun temple Why did he lust after me?" "I always liked the moon that shone in the moonlight" "That's why when I was pursued I jumped into the sea to preserve my chastity" "Love is not meant to be snatched" "It is meant to be softly plucked from each other" "Three months more for the next full moon" "Wonder who's going to be the next sacrificial goat for the Pradhans" "Sundrapandey's younger daughter Suneyi" "She turns 18 then" "But Ratnavalli will not allow it She has already decided it seems" "It is not man's wish that matters It is God will that's important" "The traditional ritual that's been going on for years is most important" "It's not here that you should fold your hands and shed tears" "But in front of our Lord Lokanathan" "Be proud that God has chosen your daughter to be His dasi (God's servant)" "Thank Him" "Now go, there is enough time to prepare her to become devadasi" "We won't be able to stand against God's will or fate, Ratnavalli" "We have not grown big enough to question our traditions and practices" "No!" "Who shall I tell my woes to?" "A blind and deaf Lokanathan?" "Or to the head of this land who pretends not to know anything?" "There is no justice in this" "We consider justice more important than tradition" "My daughters' lives are most important to me" "My daughters!" "For those who protest against traditional practices and rituals what else but death can be its penalty" "This is for Puri Jagannath who lives in the land of Oriya" "Mother!" "Mother!" "Get up Open your eyes" "In broad daylight, in front of so many people a murder like this!" "And no one to retaliate Not even you, Ram'ettan" "I have been breathing this Oriya air since the last 20 years" "I am still an outsider here" "I have neither the right nor the capacity to protest against practices here, even if I wanted to" "So have you lived here for 20 years?" "I joined my dad and grandfather when they came here for areca nut business" "Oriya people just like the areca nut they usually offer on the palate, chewed and spat out our life also" " Your home town?" " Thalasery" "We are areca nut dealers through generations" "Our main areas of business is Andhra and Orissa" "I am coming on recommendation from Keinchor committee" "I have to find out issues the tribals face these days" "I must get them to reopen the single teacher school" "Education of village girls and their security is most important" "We have to rescue them from such customs and slavery" "International Women's Day, Women's Decade No dearth for announcements" "But even today, the safety of girls in our country is very precarious, Ram'etta" "Give it here Enough of your games" "I fear when I think of it I too have a daughter and nearing 18" "When the law is just on paper Where do we go for help Meera Bai?" "Having done yourworst you are now dozing, eh?" "Why did you make that boy who is still a kid, wear a kakhi dress?" "You are decision maker in the family lsn't that the meaning of this smile?" "He will look after everything now Your reign ends now" "Wake up, instead of sleeping like a buffalo" "Did you have a bad dream, mother?" "Your dad had come, he gave me a fright" "You opened his box, right?" "What is that stale smell?" "Since I got dad's job Shouldn't I see if the uniform will suit me?" "It's good, isn't it?" "The Government is fulfilling your needs Now get out of this uniform" "Where is this girl?" "Salomi!" "Mom tell me your opinion" "Doesn't this uniform give me a particular style?" "Style?" "Don't miss the great constable Kuttan Pilla!" "You...!" "Go make some tea" "Mom!" "Enough!" "Enough!" "Do remember, just the 2 of us are here" "Write a letter everyday You must go to Kerala this Christmas" "Dad has a friend Mathews Meet him on your way if you can" "How many times will you say all this?" "Change your dialogs a bit" "It's because all are trouble riddled places" "Be on your guard always" "Do we have anyone else otherthan you?" "Oh mom's sentiments have become stronger" "Bro, you go ahead" "But just don't cheapen that uniform you are wearing!" "Respected Governor sir, since you are a malayali, we can speak our mother tongue" "Sir, we are coming from the land of Kalinga where Gautama Buddha had his roots" "In Buddha's words, from times immemorial if the tears of the people of Orissa were to be collected it would be ...greater in quantity than all the lakes of Orissa" "I understand your emotions, but in a land where a band of typical bandits rule what can we do with our limited resources of authority?" "You have to retaliate, sir" "If you can't, then discard your civil service positions and come out to the villages with us" "Ms Meera Bai, this is an official meeting Watch what you are saying" "How else must I talk?" "In a place where there is no justice" "A girl was raped right in front of her mother in the name of tradition" "How many days is it since she has given you a complaint along with enough number of witnesses?" "Have you examined her nature of complaint?" "Forget that!" "Has anybody bothered to find out if she was dead or alive?" "There are witnesses for the murder of Suneyi's mother by the Pradhans" "They are keeping quiet out of fear" "If a rich man is shot you investigate his body to see if it was a gold bullet" "A poor man's body is shriveled out of starvation, isn't it?" "This is impotency sir lmpotency of authority" "Ms Meera Bai, control yourself" "In such instances that is difficult sir" "You can draw your weapons Kill me or shoot me down" "Arrest the murderers Ratnavalli be given justice" "Security be given to her daughter" "Stop it!" "Silence!" "Women like Indira Gandhi governs the country Yet women are not safe here" "My friends, we are forced to go against what Gandhiji taught us" "The soul of India does not live in villages" "Only the wails of sorrow of mothers and sisters exist in villages" ""Writhing and awakening oh land of Orissa"" ""Understand, this weeping heart of the land"" ""With finger tip of the soul anoint the unfading vermilion symbol of war"" ""When the homestead burns, oh Lord of Puri"" ""Shower your rain of blessings in a dance of fury"" ""Women, like drops of water fell and shattered on lustful statues of Kalinga"" ""Have they returned softly to rain in torrents, from clouds heavy with love"" ""Memories like scattered poetry On the burning pyre that's Orissa"" ""To write out memoirs from my heart Will you give me a copy of them?"" "Under section 302 of the lPC In Chikite colony of Ganjam..." "In a case where Ratnavalli died of gunshot wounds by the accused, suspected to have committed it" "Kamadeva Pradhan has been hereby ordered to be arrested" "Ratnavalli's orphaned daughter Suneyi be given a compensation of Rs 1 lakh as well as 2 policemen deputed to provide security" "Till the case is resolved ortill the time she requests for it" "Orders as perthe district collector" ""Caged within the bars of the past Birds of this earth sobbed within it"" ""Yearning to spread its wings and fly High up into the sky...a right to freedom"" "I will return" "The traditional customs must continue" "I will come as the conductor of rituals for Agni Pournami" "There is no law above the law of Thakurs" "Neither court nor police Understood?" "The job here is a little tough, mother" "But it doesn't matter I don't have a choice, isn't it?" "We must get our Salome married off" "Anyone would think he became a policeman to get me married" "Just read the rest of it quickly my girl" "Soon I will be going on special duty to a village called Ganjam" "Its 2 days journey from here Please pray for me" "Like Salomi said the other day the dignity of my Police uniform has to be upheld and people must Say, I am as dignified as dad used to be" "The direct heir of Pradhan clan is locked up in jail" "This is a bad omen showing that the family is heading for calamity" "Mother, your brains too have become grey like your hair" "If Pradhanpur ceases to exist it means Oriya doesn't anymore" "This world will not exist" "Even the Sun God, so bright and strong can't keep shining all the time" "How can one expect a mere Pradhan family?" "For every sunrise there is a twilight and a sunset" "Be quiet!" "Dasis (mistress) like you are expected to live in obedience and in the kitchens!" "These are indications of Kalikalam Otherwise she will not dare speak here" "If a dasi has been brought here to satisfy a Pradhan's lust" "Then he better listen to what she has to say" "Those days of deaf and dumb dasis are gone These are modern times respected mother" "Let me go!" "Leave me!" "This is what is happening to the Devadasis of Lokanathan" "The story of women who live as slaves and concubines inside the Pradhan palace" "The Pradhans have never been questioned about their authority" "It was into this and into the life of a poor 18 year old girl getting ready to be the next victim of Pradhan clan, I was stepping into as a security guard" "I was actually destined for greater things But somehow landed up here" "I am not allowed to wield my authority even for 5 minutes" " Sir, I'll go to the room" " Okay go ahead" "I saluted thinking he was a higher officer He has come as my junior" "What took you so long I say?" "We wandered around a bit without knowing the way, brother" "Brother?" "A slap if you say that!" "What were you instructed when you joined duty?" "To use 'sir' when addressing your senior" "Learn to give respect and earn respect" "Look here, you belong to Kerala I mean you are a Tamilian" "Hey you are confusing me!" "You are a Keralaite and I'm a Tamilian We are on duty here in Orissa" "Don't think you can play authority games with me" "Sir, where can I keep my bags?" "Why don't you try my head?" "You deserve a punch for this!" "Go to the quarter where a light is burning" "Change your dress and come back here You have to start your duty" "No shortage for such drama" "Hey!" "Sit man!" "I'll shoot you down" "You...!" "Wake up I say!" "In Kerala this is acceptable In Tamil Nadu also its excused" "But this is Orissa man!" "The government, gives you a salary and perks along with soap, comb, talcum powder Have they sent you here to sleep?" "I am supposed to sleep and you must be on duty...here take this" "Hey!" "Don't go beyond 5 KM from here" "The wild buffalos and elephants from the forest will finish you" "Just stay around here" "What a relief it will be if I could sleep in total freedom without this dress on me" "It's of no use praying to the Sun God my dear brahmin" "You can't even look at His face" "The moon is a better God" "What a pest!" "Why don't you jump into this river and die?" "It will be better than the life you lead" "But you people never allowed me to do it" "I know what you are thinking Feel like a romp in the water?" "If so come Let's do it" "Lord Jagannath!" "Give this sinner her due" "Come all our sanctity is lost Let's go to another bank" "Come!" "Hey!" "Don't go away sulking We'll have a great time this morning" "Come!" "It's a good time now" "Hey!" "The Sun God won't scorch you in these waters" "Come!" "Come right now!" "Hey!" "This place is unusually quiet!" "?" "Don't throw something else instead of the newspaper!" "This one's asleep and this one is also sleeping!" "Is this the way to be on duty?" "Good morning sir!" "Idiot!" "Go finish all your morning ablutions and come" " Hey!" "Where is that girl?" "!" "Which girl?" "Oh my goodness!" "I got this job after so much trouble" "What will I do now?" "It's not you, but I too will lose my job!" "I have 5 wives to look after Go find and drag her back, man!" "Hey!" "Not that way Go this way" "Dancing the bharathanatyam!" "What will I do now!" "Oh Lord!" "I have not even see her" "Where do I go looking for her now?" " Fly it higher up" " Like this?" "Did you see Sundara Pandey's daughter go this way?" "Yes, I did She just went in that direction" "This will get me in trouble Where will I find this burden?" "Sure it will!" "She's not a burden Her name is Suneyi" "Oh malayali?" "!" "What a blessing!" "What's your name my boy?" "Nilamadhavan" "Ram'ettan's son Everyone calls me Nila" "Alright Nila, tell me" "How does that girl look like?" "Like gold...that's why people call her Suneyi" " Okay, didn't you say she went this way?" "Yes, this way" "I will soon find her" "Suneyi!" "Yes..." "Suneyi That's what I said" "She went that way Didn't she, my sister?" " Where is she, da?" " She went this way I was told" " Who told you?" " A boy, a malayali to the core" "Was there a young girl with him?" "Yes, there was" "Was she tall and her head covered?" "Was she fair and wearing beads around her neck?" "Did she have a black dot on her forehead?" "Yes, she did, but how do you know all this, sir?" "You fool!" "I sawthat girl in the house yesterday" "It is to guard her we have been sent here" "Go and drag her home safely" "Hey, drag her, I meant to bring her home safe and sound...understand?" "No shortage for such drama!" "Now go!" "Wonder howl will continue my duty with this guy!" ""Clouds,were colors painted by the strokes of your brush"" ""Like dreams from the heart, fell like droplets on earth"" ""Prancing in moist mists, oh my dove Tell me when you will tie the knot"" "Hey old man!" "Do you have ghosts in this village?" "That too ghosts that drink up brandy at one go?" ""On strings of the veena tied across as swings Wonder what melodies swing gently on them"" ""As thoughts fell gently like droplets on tiny particles of earth, dear heart"" ""May they be like drops of water in tender thoughts"" ""A handful of warm and sweeping affection"" "My name is Meera Bai" "I am a teacher here at Heaven of Children's school" "I have come to discuss about Suneyi's education" "You are aware isn't it, that along with protection, her future has to be taken care?" "I have seen your photos in the newspapers" "Do you know lndira Gandhi?" "Do you personally know Jyothi Basu and Biju Patnaik?" "I think he is that Kripadanam's left over" "Just a dandy showing off" "After all a policeman" "You can expect intelligence only of this level" "Anyway, an extra burden on us" "No Ram'etta, I am here with a solid background and quite capable" "As for this uniform, it is indeed my bread and butter" "But please don't demean it" "So you are a malayali Things become easier" "He belongs to our place" "How did you get this posting?" "That's a long story teacher I just finally landed here, that's all" "Tell me what you've come for" "Come on, forget our sharp words We were joking, from previous experiences" "Forget all that!" "Since you know the situation I don't have to explain" "Suneyi is my student She wants to continue studies" "But she needs to be given a chance" "That guy Kripakaran is only harassing her" "He does not want to send her to school" "If they are educated they'll get over their fear" "I will try" "I am just an ordinary policeman But I will do all to help you" "We need the moral support of the youth community like you" "I am from Talashery Where are you from in Kottyam?" "Kanjikuzhi" "Dad was in Orissa police That's how I landed this job" "Mother is from Kasergode I also have a sister Salomi, who is studying" "Working out of your state itself Is another kind of social service" "Especially in such remote villages" "But don't do like dad did, marry an Oriya girl and live here permanently" "You will soon forget your own land" "Stop talking and serve him food My daughter Dakshayini" "In memory of my mother I named her Dakshayini" "For a mere Rs 100, people here sell their families and spend a life time wallowing in the dirt and muck" "The dasis get free food and drugs for the job they do" "People like Suneyi's father devotional singers by profession sing songs travelling the length and breadth of this land" "What do they get in return?" "Miseries like this" "There is no use of anyone guarding her She has been written off for them" "This malpractice has claimed many girls as victims here" "Suneyi's sister Chandrabhaga's fate was also this" "Now she is a slave and mistress in that Pradhan's palace" "That is the fate that awaits Suneyi also on Agni Pournami day" "Careful!" "Don't burn your hands" "She thinks she's still a small child" "This is the naming ceremony of kids in the Gond community" "Since the baby is a boy, the village priest dips the instrument used to sever the umbilical cord into blood and anoint his forehead with it" "The original practice was to actually dip it in the blood of sacrificial animal" "He belongs to the Pradhan clan How can he be the village priest?" "Being a priest is a facade A license to do whatever they pleased" "The blessings served is not the usual lime juice" "It is Mahua, an alcoholic drink" "Distilled from the flowers of the Mahua tree It is just like our own country liquor" "Amouthful of this potent drink will leave you intoxicated for a week" " Want to try?" " No of course not" "Police!" "A policeman in a place where a sacred ceremony is going on?" "He is Suneyi's body guard" "Hasn't the collector given orders that he must stay till Agni Pournami?" "Ask him to come here" "Hey!" "Come here" "He has not liked your coming here Anyway, let's go" "We can't disobey he is all authority here" "Very respectful person" "Has humility too" "But when in a sacred ritual is going on the Khaki is inauspicious to the Pradhan clan" "Next time you come to see me make sure you are not wearing your Khaki" "Understood?" "We beg forgiveness" "He's new and did it out of ignorance" "I will see that it won't happen again" "Who does he think he is?" "The Prime Minister?" "He has more power than the prime minister" "Old customs of this land Right or wrong, its better we followthem" "It's unfortunate for this village and its people" "Go!" "Go on" "Go...go fast" "A brainless girl living in a jungle" "Playing with my life Did you have to play with this?" "No mother or father Living alone and does whatever she wants!" "Do they even knowthe value of this?" "Brainless rascal" "Are you trying to frighten rolling your eyes at me, eh?" "I didn't mean anything..." "Just think of it my girl" "Anyone will get angry if you did such things" "No!" "I just wanted to ask you not to cry" "Hey stop!" "Didn't you eat?" "I will share my food" "Eat it" "If I said anything to hurt you, forgive me" "Sorry!" "I did not have any bad intentions" "I'll give you a portion of my food Please don't refuse" "That was it That was the beginning" "The first feeling of a malayali man Christudas felt towards an Oriya woman, wheat colored Suneyi" "Whether it was affection, sympathy or was it just feelings of protector to an orphan" "Or beyond all this, was it the first love a young man felt ...towards a wheat complexioned innocent young girl..." "I don't know" "Eat" "Come on, eat" ""As clouds move languidly toward twilight skies"" ""Have the stars come out twinkling their hymns?"" ""Once this evening as the sun set to slumber away"" ""Eyes wide open, waiting for the moon to come Was the day yearning in tender invitation"" ""Clouds,were colors painted by the strokes of your brush"" ""Like dreams from the heart, fell like droplets on earth"" ""Prancing in moist mists, oh my dove Tell me when you will tie the knot"" "The kids ran away with everything I brought what I could get" "This is for you" "What happened?" "Another 4 weeks and it will be Agni Pournami" "That means...death" "Be quiet" "He had come in my dreams yesterday also" "Riding his horse, to take me away forcibly" "I am scared Dakshayini" "Be brave God will surely send someone" "Old times have gone Odisha is developed state now" "Probably because it is now Odisha instead of Orissa" "Migration to other states" "In Kerala alone 7 lakh people have come in search of jobs" "What is wrong in looking for a better job outside?" "Which corner in the world do we not have malayalis?" "True..." "life is more important" "When we reach dead end, we run away to a safer place" "Like we did once" "Did you have a love marriage?" "Yes, but not to an Oriya girl" "My own uncles daughter who traditionally I have a right to marry" "Distance did not scare you out of a relationship, right?" "Real relationships are like that" "I came to know of that during that journey to the court" "'For Suneyi, beyond the limits of the village...' '...it was a borderless world full of colours'" "'The city and its magical scenes'" "'But the laughter those scenes brought to her face, did not last long'" "'Those court procedures once travelled a long time back...' '...today sent her back pitilessly to her old state from the court rooms'" "In our language it's known as the fruits of our deeds" "All clannish people, who suppress and subjugate lives of others, end this way" "Not here alone, but anywhere in the world" "I heard the archeology department was commissioned to take this up" "A long time back But who's bothered!" "Nothing has happened till now" "Who wants to remember a past that's full of cursed memories" "Today's lesson is about Meera Bai's devotional poems" "Meera's devotion was her love for Lord Krishna" "Radha's divine love for Krishna as love songs was found to flow in the poetry of Meera Bai" "Krishna was her protector savior and her whole universe" "'Even though I was not Meera Bai's student I'd got used to her lessons by now'" "'Love was the topic of her lesson'" "'Her songs were filled with Krishna's love' 'lnvisible strings of love bind me tight...' '...and trapped in those threads I was its slave'" "'Meera Bai's lesson had begun with love but ended with the sorrow of her separation'" "'Just as bad was against goodness Separation was an enemy to love'" "Hey Radha!" "Get up Lessons are over, shall we leave?" "When eye meets eye, it turns dangerous" "What?" "Dangers of falling in love The symptoms have appeared" "I don't wish to be a gooseberry" "Krishna and Radha can come on your own after your love games" "Daksha!" "What the heck did that girl utter just now and go?" "Tell me, what did she say?" "When two eyes collide it becomes dangerous" "The dangers of falling in love" "Oh!" "Rain!" "Hey!" "Stop this childishness Come away" "Will you be with me like this forever?" "Tell me...!" "Will you?" "If I am yourwatchdog, I shall remain with you forever, till my last breath oriya girl with the color of golden wheat" ""Will you tell me oh flower petal My tender heart of hearts"" ""What is it that brings me sweet pain?" "Is it the moon light or the rain?"" ""On lonely streets I wander in pangs of separation..."" ""...with you beside me tremulous and trembling"" ""Will you tell me oh flower petal My tender heart of hearts"" ""As the midnight jasmine blossoms sway in full bloom"" ""The paths that you choose to walk Bringing beauty and prosperity in bountiful"" ""As my palate of life overflows with love My friend can you adorn yourself with it"" ""Will you tell me oh flower petal My tender heart of hearts"" ""What is it that brings me sweet pain?" "Is it the moon light or the rain?"" ""Stars of spring rained in showers and finally stopped"" ""Golden sandal blossomed along..." "all along shady glades"" ""As the heart awakens to blue skies of sunrise"" ""Will you sing silently oh 6th asterism Betelgeuse"" ""Will you tell me oh flower petal My tender heart of hearts"" "Suni" "Come!" "If religious rites are violated not only Pradhans but the entire Gond community will become mad" "Now everything is her fate" "The Pradhans are the reigning Lords They will decide her fate" "You sneaking rascal Where were you all this while?" "Have you come here on duty?" "Or was it for something else?" "Forget it!" "These are mischief of the Lord Puri Jagannath" "Repercussions will soon follow" "You, an outsider, following a different faith will not know the traditions of Ganjam" "You do not realize the after effects of violating traditional practices" "But she will realize and she must undergo the trial" "The girl who will be donated to the Lord" "The girl predetermined for Him" "A mere glance from another man with vested interest is enough for to consign this village to flames" "Let whatever happened be over and done with" "A propitiation ceremony to counter this wrong act has to be performed today itself" "Till it is over, she will not see daylight" "Sun-rays must not touch her" "Her body must be dedicated to Lokanathan the remaining 4 days" "May the Lokanath Lord Jagannath forgive her" "Let me go!" "Leave me" "'That was her destiny'" "'This land of Lord Jagannath, where the Pradhan clan reigned...' '...as undisputed lords decided and enforced this fate'" "'The horse carriage that went further and further away from me...' '...and inside it a wailing being who was their prisoner'" "'This was something that echoed and re echoed like thunder in my mind...' '...the whole day'" "It was a mistake A great mistake" "For people who believed tradition this was costlier than their blood an inexcusable mistake" "It is Agni Pournami the 5th day from today" "She will come out of her dark room" "Customary rites will be conducted" "Next morning she will become Lord Lokanathan's dasi" "That means, the self-proclaimed representative of Lord Lokanathan Kamadeva Pradhan will claim his next victim" "Will you be able to change her destiny before that happens?" "Do you have the guts to take her away and go lead a life in some far off place?" "If so, you should take the place of Lokanathan's representative on earth" "You, who belongs to a different land and follow a different religion" "Mother just do as I ask you to I will be there on time to board the train" "We will definitely go to Kerala together" "What is it?" "What has happened to you?" "There was no news from you for a long time That's why we came to find out" "Going through this difficult journey And now my son you say..." "I am telling you mother I have some unfinished work, you go" "Let's go together brother" "Just do what I say Salomi" "Babu, take them to the railway station" " Don't hurry be careful" " Okay, sir" "What is it my son?" "Who is he?" "When you yearn you must see" "When you hungry you must eat" "When ripe it must be harvested" "Isn't that right my dear policeman?" "Who are they?" "Yourfamily?" "Has your family also come to help you guard Pandey's girl?" "Who are you to ask?" "Pradhan Kamadeva Pradhan" "Got out of jail only yesterday Agni Pournami is nearing" "If I don't come There will be a lapse in tradition" "This entire region belong to the Pradhan family" "Both the earth and the women here belong to us" "We sow and we reap No one is there to stop us" "I have not come here to fight with you Suneyi is an innocent girl" "Give her to me" "Come to my place!" "Rescue her and take her away" "Whatever happens, the haystack of Agni Pournami will burn in the courtyard of Pradhan house" "Traditional rituals will be performed as usual" "The wheat complexioned girl will after that belong to Lord Lokanathan and me" "I am hereby inviting you to witness the Agni Pournami rituals" "What was he saying?" "What is your problem here?" "I will explain all that later Now please go" "If you starve, the harvest will be poor" "Eat" "Eat" "We don't need revolutionaries here" "Go out!" "We do not use guns or swords as weapons We use the broom" "Don't force us to use this on you Better release Suneyi before that" "I am also ready for such uncivilized games Meera Bai" "Do you see this?" "Bound with a gold thread" "Like the broom in the old fable of King Purushothaman and his authority" "No woman has dared speak in Pradhans courtyard like this" "Once you begin, tomorrow all these slave girls will follow and the men of Pradhan clan will be forced to hang their heads" "To prevent that...!" "Drink this coconut water" "Take it" "Tell me, do you want to go inside?" "No!" "It is not mine alone My teacher's tears, blood..." "Okay, take rest" "Nila, let's go We are feeling very tired" "These are the 2 characters that you've met only in stories" "Christudas and Suneyi" "Yes, they are like monuments of immortal love" "I was waiting to meet and talk to you" "Where is he, your son Appu?" "On his way back from school He was very happy this morning" "Hearing a new grandpa and grandma were coming" "Eat this also" "Where are they?" " Sitting outside" "Must be the change in climate that's making you cough continuously" "Here, swallowthis tablet" "If you are breathless, I'll bring the inhaler" "No, it's okay" "Are there tablets to be taken after dinner?" "Doctors prescribe medicines almost equal to the quantity of food" "Dakshayini?" "She stays with her daughter in Koraput" "I have informed her...she'll come as soon as possible" "Ram'ettan always wanted to get her married to a man in Kerala" "Her husband is a malayali, but like us He has always lived outside of Kerala" "Runs a Bakery" "Tell her to bring the kids also when she comes" " It has been such a long time" " I have told her" "May be you should go to bed now You have had a long journey, isn't it?" " True!" "I do feel tired" " Come on, help her" "Slowly" " What about you?" " I'll come later, you sleep" "I wanted to meet Ram'ettan at least once" "But could not" "I didn't want to come back here" "Father was most happy about you" "He talked about Agni Pournami just before his death also" "They are strange bonds of relationship we share from previous births" "Can I have a cigarette?" "She doesn't allow me usually" "This is my only vice" "Where are you going all alone?" "There's a bright moonlight" "Let me walk around a bit You can go to bed" "Mother slept as soon as she lay down Where is he going?" "In search of memories" "Thank God the old hunters no longer exist" "Let him come, I'll wait You go sleep" "I have been nursing this desire since many years" "Every year it's my brother who conducts the rituals" "I am also one of the Pradhan sons I too have feelings and desires" "This time before brother I will conduct the rituals" "I shall enjoy the fruit of this tradition" "Beautiful girl, the auspicious moment has come" "Your time has not yet come, my brother" "So go away" "You have had many chances This girl is for me" "Have you become so brave?" "Do brothers have to compete among themselves?" "Why not?" "I'll draw my weapon also" "Go ahead and draw" "I will conduct this ritual Even if I have to kill you to perform it" "Go!" "Go away!" "Go away quickly!" "No one can escape destiny, my friend" "She belongs to Lord Jagannathan and is the blessed offering given to us Pradhans" "I will kill you" "Go away" "Quickly!" "Oh God!" "What is this hitch again?" "Someone's lying across our way" "Look he's lying there on the track" "Sit down" "Don't cry my girl, smile This is your good fortune" "Do you know howmany girls I've brought here and made to sit all dressed and jeweled?" "Agirl is just a piece of meat" "A piece of meat that will appease the hunger of a man" "All of you go out" "Goodness!" "What happened?" "Pests out to cause sheer trouble" "What happened to you?" "Tell us" "He is injured very badly" "What's wrong?" "Why was the train stopped" "Who is this?" "Here hold this I'll get some water" "Here hold him" "It's closing time The first signal has already come" "I know it man!" "There are so many other ways to kill yourself" "Can't you spare these railway tracks?" "Water" "Water" "Sir, he's a malayali" "Why are you here?" "What happened?" "I don't want to die" "I must go" "I must keep my promise" "I must rescue" "Who?" "Tell us what the issue is?" "Awoman is just a piece of meat Meant to appease the hunger in man" "I am a poor engine driver This job is my bread and butter" "This chap here is the guy who shows us the way" "We don't have time to stand here listening to your story" "We have to travel according to signal So please allow us to go on our way" "My dear boy, just move away from the track Go fulfill your promise" "Your love appears to be true" "That is why the train stopped so near you and your life was saved" "Now this train will lie here for 3 hours to allowthe Bengal express pass by" "If you can bring her here in these 3 hours" "We can leave with your Oriya girl back to Kerala" "We will wait near the river" "A chance, don't forget, 3 hours go and come back with her" "Pradhan!" "Give me my Suneyi" "Give me my Suneyi" "We will go somewhere and live" "We will go somewhere and live" "I will not live without Suneyi I will not go from here without her" "I will not leave her here and go anywhere" "I will not live without Suneyi I will not go from here without her" "Kill me along with her" "Kill me along with her" "Open!" "Allow him to come inside" "Take her" "Take her away Everything is over" "This dasi who belongs to us by tradition is being given to you as alms" "Take her away" "Go far away Anywhere you want" "But let us not see you on this land ever again" "Go away" "Don't touch me!" "I am soiled!" "I don't have any wish to live" "Nothing has happened" "It was only like a mad dog bit you" "That's all" "So many years, all through this life" "So much water of this great river has flowed under the bridge" "So has these painful experiences" "The rain, a little cold and with a herd of goats, among those rocky caves do you feel like spending one more night?" "My wheat complexioned Oriya girl?" "Did you hear their sweet murmurs?" "No!" "What did they say?" "Your head!" "First learn to love" "It is so charming to listen even at this age" "So you were peeping in on them, eh?" "This is not a good sign, okay?" "Hiding is beautiful You men should know better, right?" "Here's your tea" "Let this heat subside We will go around those paths once again" "Suneyi!" "What happened?" "What happened to her?" "You asked me once what was the purpose of our trip?" "This was the reason" "To breathe her last on this very soil she was born on" "This is over now" "Next her journey from this earthly life has to follow what her mother did swargadwar ( threshold of heaven)" "She also has to go the same way" "That's all" "Funeral rites" "Take this pot and go round 3 times" ""ln days to come, as time weaves a tale"" ""Pains disappear, a single night spent together"" ""On these lands where memories rush in"" ""Life burns in scorching heat of summer of love"" ""Come as a wave, as a bright beacon of light"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""...of new born moonbeams on my mystical veena"" ""Amidst heartbeats, like rhythms of spring"" ""Foreign lands beyond reach, so far, far away"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" "We shall be born once again" "We have not had our fill of sharing and caring in this birth" "In those hot summers of love like the cool shade like a stream of cool thrills we shall turn ourselves into" "Me and my Suneyi" "Times don't end Neither do stories!" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""...of new born moonbeams on my mystical veena"" ""Amidst heartbeats, like rhythms of spring"" ""Foreign lands beyond reach, so far, far away"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""As a stranger sang untouched by tears"" ""Along these paths we travelled without parting"" ""On these bare sandy deserts with no roads"" ""Drenched in waves of love, come be my partner"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""ln days to come, as time weaves a tale"" ""Pains disappear, a single night spent together"" ""On these lands where memories rush in"" ""Life burns in scorching heat of summer of love"" ""Come as a wave, as a bright beacon of light"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" ""...of new born moonbeams on my mystical veena"" ""Amidst heartbeats, like rhythms of spring"" ""Foreign lands beyond reach, so far, far away"" ""Birth after birth on this earth, be like the notes..."" "Subtitled by rekhs and latha"