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By
IndiaFM News Bureau, October 9, 2006 - 12:42 IST
 “Maati
Maay” (A Grave-keeper’s Tale) is based on a short
story ‘Baayen’ by the well-known writer Mahasweta Devi.
It is the heart-rending tale of a young mother who is
trapped between her instincts and needs, and the
compulsions of her ancestral duty as dictated by the
social system.
Chandi (Nandita
Das) is a beautiful young woman from a lower caste,
whose family has traditionally been in charge of a
children’s graveyard. When her father dies, there
being no other male in the family, Chandi inherits the
job and performs it with great pride as her sacred
duty. But after she gives birth to her son Bhagirath,
things start to change. Being a nursing mother, Chandi
now begins to get deeply affected by children’s
deaths. Handling tiny corpses takes a toll on her body
and mind. Getting more and more distressed while
performing their funeral rites, she wishes she could
be relieved of that duty. But then, who will protect
the graves from wild animals…? Won’t the ancestors be
angered…? Is it not wrong to give up a sacred trust…?
Chandi’s
husband Narsu (Atul Kulkarni) fails to understand her
turmoil. Her moral dilemmas, her growing anxieties are
simply beyond him. The community forces her to
continue with her work. And when she finally rebels,
the villagers, steeped in ignorance and superstition,
become extremely hostile and punish her in the
harshest possible manner.
Twelve
years later Narsu, hoping to justify his own actions,
narrates Chandi’s story to their now adolescent son.
If
Chandi gets justice in the end, it is only through the
love and courage of her son Bhagirath (Kshitij Gawade)
who dares to defy the system.
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