Fandry

Nagraj Manjule's 2013 Marathi film follows Jabya, an adolescent boy from a Dalit family. He is in love with an upper-caste girl in his class and can tell nobody, while his family tries to catch a pig roaming the village in order to make some money. The idea is that visibility itself is a punishment. Jabya is afraid of being seen doing his family's work; caste for him is not an abstract concept but a boundary setting where he can stand each day. It is Manjule's first feature, shot in his own village with a largely non-professional cast. The final scene became one of the most discussed endings in Indian cinema and closes with a gesture aimed directly at the audience. Who it's for: those who like Indian independent cinema and narratives about caste. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a comforting close; the film ends by targeting the viewer directly.