THE DAMNED RAIN

(Gabhricha Paus)

  Everyday, farmers in the Vidarbha village in Maharashtra commit suicide as their lands stay parched and their debts accumulate. Alka, a young mother, is worried and keeps a watchful eye on her husband with the help of her mother-in-law and her 6-year-old son. She sends her son to tag along with him every waking hour and to report back to her. Irritated by his wife's concerns, Kisna keeps his plans a secret as he tries to figure out new ways to save his field and his crops. To keep

his spirits up, his wife regularly makes special treats even though it is beyond their means. This tug-of-war between happiness and sorrow only makes him all the more determined not to succumb to the tragic fate of other farmers. Having grown up in the area, director-writer Satish Manwar has had first hand experience of this bleak situation and his sensitivity to their predicament is evident throughout his debut feature film. Brilliantly acted by the lead actors Girish Kulkarni and Sonali Kulkarni, The Damned Rain brings to light a much needed awareness of this epidemic.

Directed by Satish Manwar, India, 2008, 35mm, 100 mins. In Marathi with English subtitles.

"Powerful... with a keen understanding of the human dependence on nature"
  -Variety

"The spirit of auteur Satyajit Ray suffuses this debut by writer-director Satish Manwar...The Damned Rain portrays a family's plight with a naturalist style of storytelling, a humanist agenda and a lyrical eye on nature"
            -Chicago Sun-Times

"The story is told delicately, with some unexpected, light-fingered comic touches... its feeling is authentic"
  -Chicago Tribune

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