Mrityu Dand: Death Sentence

Bilaspur. February, 1996.

A council of village elders gave a verdict.

Ganga, a 22-year old widow and her mother..

..were to be hounded out of the village.

She was accused of adultery and of practicing witchcraft.

Get that lousy woman!

No! Don't give up!

Get that lousy woman!

No. No.

Got her! Got her at last!

No!

Arrest each and every one!

No need to worry, Collector sir.

Let's sit in the temple. I'II call everyone here.

Come in, sir.. come on folks.. get some chairs.

Fast.. Come.. Come.

See to it that no one escapes. How did the news leak?

You think you can suppress an incident like this!

What do you mean? - We'll talk about it later.

Serve the magistrate tea and snacks.

I'II go get Subansh Singh.

Make sure no one speaks.

I had warned you not to get involved in this trouble!

This is no village politics. The collector's making an inquiry.

Let's go. - Nonsense! We aren't going.

We have nothing to do with this.

Fantastic! AII of you conspired to kill the widow.

Shut up, Mr. Pandey!

If you have the guts, arrest those who looted and raped her.

If I did, you'd be in the docks too.

We know how you got the money to contest the elections.

You conned Ganga into pawning all her jewellery.

Forget it! It's rubbish!

Let's go, sir.

Let's go.

What's all this about, father? Where are you going?

It's the same old story of hounding out a widow..

The Collector is conducting an inquiry.

It was inevitable, father. - Let's go, sir.

It'll be tough. Men from our caste were involved.

These fellows were there too.

For free hooch and 20 bucks.

That's what Tirpat Singh, the contractor, gave them.

Greedy fools! I told them not to..

..get mixed up with upper caste politics.

But they won't listen! - Forget what happened.

Just keep your mouths shut before the magistrate.

I'm going to expose each one of them!

What's wrong? - They're all two-tongued!

But I won't remain silent! I'II reveal all!

Will you shut up? What have we to lose anyway?

Really? Must we put up with their injustice?

Now look.. you will not utter another word!

If I could help it, I'd tell him the names of the villains!

I'd do a lot, if I could help it, too.

He's not himself, sir.. He's not keeping well.

Oh, shut up.. - I'II bring him back to his senses!

What are you going to do about it?

This idiot! I will..

What are you doing to him? - Spare him, sir! He will say nothing!

He's neck deep in debts and he has the cheek to..

He is going to the city to look for work!

Please spare him!

To the city?! And who pays us what he owes us?

I will! I'm working in the landlord's house.

I could work for you! I'd do anything! Yes.

I see! Well, alright.

Strange! No one seems to know what happened!

Two women were killed. They were from your village!

He engineered it. Now the idiot comes here to cover-up!

Don't talk nonsense Abhay Singh!

Mr. Tirpat Singh.. welcome. Not to worry. AII lips are sealed. Welcome.

Greetings, sir. You've been put through undue trouble.

Cut it out, Tirpat Singh.

You surely know what happened. - Of course, sir.

Everyone knows about Ganga and her mother.

It's a blot on our village. I hate talking about it.

They were women of loose character.

Ganga was mentally unstable. Go on, Abbot.. tell him.

That's just why I forbade her from entering the temple.

She had even become pregnant.

We tolerated a lot. We are peaceful folks, sir.

True, there was never a riot in Bilaspur.

Say what, Rambaran Mahto?

Collector sir.. no one in the village wants this inquiry.

Please write it off as an accident.

But the administration cannot remain a silent bystander.

But of course we'll co-operate! Let the inquiry continue.

Mr. Pandey.. would you care to come over for some refreshments?

Not now, sir.. There's already a lot of tension.

Besides, I'll be attending your son's wedding soon. - Ok.

I can never find anything here! Ketki! I'm getting late!

I'm on my way, father!

You yourself forget your things all over the place.

Pen in the kitchen. Towel in the garden..

..specs in the bathroom.

You know, you had forgotten your umbrella at the grocer's.

Your cup of tea! - You mustn't wear my glasses.

It'll spoil your eye-sight.

What's wrong? - You wouldn't know..

..the difference between sugar and salt, would you?

How could I?!

Had your mother been alive, she'd have said..

That I'd spoil her name in my husband's house. Isn't it?

But you're getting married in a family..

..where you don't have to strain yourself for anything.

It's a family of landlords. As for the groom.. he's great!

I'm not going to get married. Just you watch.

Why not? - You'll lose everything then!

That's true. But I have an idea.

Your husband won't live with us, let me live with you then, okay?

Where did you find this girl?

Don't tease her. She brings us good fortune.

Move it. It's time to welcome the bride.

The bride has come.

What's up? Why do you keep calling me?

Look, you haven't eaten anything all day.

Do I look after the guests? Or do I sit here and eat?

Wait! Just try the porridge. I made it because you like it.

I'II eat when I'm hungry.

You always fall ill when you eat late. Just have a bit..

You women!

Well.. what do you use in lentil-curry? Salt or sugar?

Chilies, actually.

Move aside.. let me see the bride, too.

Sure.. but you will have to buy a ticket.

A ticket? - You don't want a free show?

Well, alright. Why should I want a free show?

The Goddess of Fortune!

What are you doing here?

I came over to buy a ticket.

Do you want one, too?

Not a word more. I've taken enough!

You dare call me a thief! This is the last straw!

Here.. every penny of yours is accounted for!

Why raise a storm? I just want to know what we've spent.

Not I! You're the one who is kicking up this storm.

A pauper! That's what you are! And you insist on showing off!

What show-off? What have I spent for Vinay..

..not even a quarter of what I spent on your wedding.

I'm trying to save face. - Now save your skin!

Make sure you pay the decorator and the dancer right away.

Else they will cancel the show. Everything will be ruined.

How can they cancel? I'II handle it.

Shut up Rambaran! Enough of your double-speak!

I know what good you've done to us!

You, for one, know there's nothing left.

You've wiped us clean. Father gave you all we had.

Enough! Our lands weren't given to Rambaran for free.

It went to finance your extravagance.

Stop it. Please! Let's not fight today.

Shut up! You haven't been asked for your opinion.

Get out! If you wish your brother -in-law well, take him away too.

Better think of your own well-being now.

You have already cast my destiny.

Please. Let's go. Don't get into this squabble.

I'm the one who is getting out of this squabble!

I'II simply walk out of all this someday. Mark my words!

And then you can live happily ever after!

"Like the bird flies in the jungle..

..I want to fly with you the same way."

"Like the serpent crawls..

..I want to crawl the same way."

"This is my entire story."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

"This is my entire story."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

"Like the flower blooms in the garden..

"Like the flower blooms in the garden..

..want to bloom with you the same way."

..want to bloom with you the same way."

"Like the river Jamuna meets the Ganges..

..want to meet you the same way."

..want to meet you the same way."

Now look, I've already bought a ticket for the show!

Keep smiling like this.. You will be a big hit. - You too.

It's the dance. They will celebrate all night.

"This is my entire story."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

Greetings, sir. - Bless you.

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

My word, Rambaran! You've found the right party!

Don't provoke him into contesting an election.

Why not? He's a leader of the backward castes..

..and does not lack in resources. Right?

He can always lead the band!

You're wrong, mister.

I've been here, only to fix you up right!

The fool! Here he comes.

"This is my entire story."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

"Beloved, I am crazy about you."

Greetings. - Bless you.

Did you call this courtesan from Benares?

I wanted to. But there wasn't time. She's from a nearby town.

It's been ages since I saw one of the Benares girls dancing.

But this one seems to be quite up-to-date!