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Nishant (film)

Nishant is a 1975 Hindi drama film directed by Shyam Benegal, based on an original screenplay by noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar, with dialogues by Satyadev Dubey.

Plot
The film is set in pre-independence feudal India in 1945. Vishwam is the youngest brother of the powerful and influential village jagirdar (feudal lord). The jagirdar will not hesitate to do anything for the welfare and protection of his family, which also includes bending the law to his own advantage. The shy and quiet Vishwam is married to Rukmani, while his brothers Anjaiya and Prasad make it a practice to demand the services of any village woman they fancy. The village gets a new schoolmaster, who arrives in the village with a wife, Sushila, and a son. When Vishwam sees Sushila for the first time, he is unable to take his eyes off her and is unable to get her out of his mind. Sushila does not reciprocate his feelings. One night, while the schoolmaster is enjoying a quiet dinner with his family, someone knocks on the door. When Shushila goes to answer the door, Anjaiya and Prasad take her away forcibly. Several people are present, but no one dares to raise a hand or voice to stop this abduction. At the jagirdar's house, Sushila is raped regularly and repeatedly at the will of the jagirdar and his brothers. The distraught schoolteacher, who is denied justice by everyone from the local police officer to the district collector, is helped by the old pujari of the village temple. They succeed in mobilising the villagers who slaughter their oppressors. In the end, the frenzied villagers also kill the innocent Rukmani, as well as Sushil, whom her husband was trying to rescue. ==Cast ==
Cast
Girish Karnad as School master • Shabana Azmi as Sushila, School master's wife • Amrish Puri as Anna, the Jagirdar • Anant Nag as Anjaiya, younger brother of Jagirdar • Mohan Agashe as Prasad, younger brother of Jagirdar • Naseeruddin Shah as Vishwam, youngest brother of Jagirdar • Smita Patil as Rukmini, Vishwam's wife • Satyadev Dubey as Village Priest (Pujari) • Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Police Patel • Sadhu Meher - Special appearance, who is accused of stealing temple jewellery • Savita Bajaj as Jagirdar's household servant Pochamma • Master Altaf as Sushila and School master's son == Production ==
Production
Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah made their debut with this film. The film was shot in Pochampalli village in Telangana, known as 'weavers' village' and popular for its hand-woven sarees. It is also known as the Silk City of Bharat because of the high-quality silk sarees that are woven here. == Soundtrack ==
Soundtrack
The movie has only one song at the end "Piya Baj Pyala" sung by Preeti Sagar with music composed by Vanraj Bhatia. == Reception==
Reception
K.M. Amladi of India Today wrote, "It is however disappointing that Benegal's approach to the exploitation of the villagers is not subtle at all. The glaring facts which are exposed merely succeed in detracting from the credibility of the story. Benegal has, no doubt, used actual locations for his film and brought a measure of realism in the portrayal of the characters, but there seems to be an invisible gap between what he wants to depict and what the viewers want to comprehend or get involved in." == Accolades ==
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