''Manusangada'' (English title: We are Humans) is a 2017 Indian

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

-language

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Amshan Kumar. The film is based on a true story about the signaling of the rise of

Dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold Varna (Hinduism), varna syste ...

struggles in contemporary India against long standing human rights violations. The title 'Manusangada' is from Inquilab's poem of the same name and literally means 'We are humans too.' The film had its world priemere in Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and its International Premiere at the

Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year sin ...

. It was also selected in the

Indian Panorama The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...

section of

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...

, Goa and was the only Tamil film to be selected that year. The film has also won the Best Feature Film award from the Puducherry Government in its 35th Indian Panorama Festival.

Synopsis

When Kolappan's father dies, Kolappan is not allowed to carry his father's body through the common pathway because he is a Dalit. He seeks help from official powers, only to find that they are equally casteist. Refusing to be cowed down, Kolappan begins a protest and finds his village standing by him. Based on an actual incident, Kolappan's story is a look at the deeply-embedded prejudice that Dalits have endured and against which they are rising.

Cast

* Rajeev Anand as Kolappan * Manimegalai * A.S.Sasikumar *

Sheela Rajkumar Sheela Rajkumar (born 14 June 1992) is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer who has worked predominantly in Tamil films. Career Sheela is a Bharatanatyam dancer and a trainer. She joined the Chennai-based theatre group Koothu-P-Pattara ...

as Revathy * Vidhur Rajarajan * Sethu Darwin * Anand Sampath

Development and production

Amshan Kumar chanced upon a news clipping of the incident in 2016, he set aside a screenplay of a William Shakespeare adaptation that he had been working on. Manusangada was shot with a handheld camera in a series of shots with the aesthetic that reflects the reality at hand. Kumar wanted to film it in a docu-drama style with a tragic narrative. The filming was completed in 22 days and was shot on location.

Awards and film festivals

*Best Feature Film Award, Government of Puducherry, Indian Panorama The film was screened at the following Film festivals: * 19th Jio Mami Film Festival *

section of

Chennai International Film Festival The Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) is a festival organised in the city of Chennai, India, by a film society, the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), with the support of The Government of Tamil Nadu, the South Indian Film Cha ...

*ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal *

Pune International Film Festival The Pune International Film Festival (also known as PIFF) is an annual film festival held in Pune, a city in Maharashtra, India. Open to general public, the films are screened at NFAI, Inox, City Pride, PVR cinema halls, all located in Pune ...

Thrissur International Film Festival International Film Festival of Thrissur (IFFT) is an annual event held in Thrissur in Kerala. It started in August 2004 as a joint venture by Thrissur Chalachitra Kendram, a film fraternity of Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also kn ...

*13th Habitat Film Festival *Solapur International film festival *Orange City Film Festival *ChintaBar 2K18 Film Festival

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 7475710, Manusangada 2017 films Indian drama films Films about the caste system in India