THE TERRORIST aka MALLI

Year: 1998
USA: Phaedra Cinema
UK: Metro Tartan
Cast: Ayesha Dharker, K Krishna, Sonu Sisupal, Vishwas, Anuradha, Bhavani, Parmeshwaran, Gopal, Saravana, Anna Durai, Anuradha, Bhanu Prakash, Vishnu Vardhan
Director: Santosh Sivan
Country: India
Language: Hindi
USA: 95 mins
UK: 99 mins
UK Certificate: 12 contains some moderate violence and terrorism theme
USA Release Date: 14 January 2000
UK Release Date: 11 May 2001


Synopsis

Set in a violent world, THE TERRORIST is the exploration of the complex life of a nineteen year old girl who though seemingly invincible shows she can be vulnerable as well and is directed by award winning cinematographer Santosh Sivan (ROJA, INDIRA).

Malli's (Ayesha Dharker) life has a brutal inevitability about it. Deeply affected by the death of her brother at a young age, she decides to follow his example and joins the terrorist organisation...for the cause, where she learns at an early age to suppress her feelings so that only the cause of her people has meaning. In a life where death is constant, each frail human contact, each fragile touch, is ruthlessly destroyed.

Malli moulds herself into a thing that mechanically carries out the orders of the organisation. She feels intense pride when she is chosen over others for the grotesque honor of being a suicide bomber, and die a martyr. But as she awaits death, her long denied inner self makes itself felt and unknown emotions envelope her.