The Terrorist (Malli)

Released 1998
Stars Ayesha Dharker, K. Krishna, Sonu Sisupal, Vishwas, Anuradha, Bhavani, Parmeshwaran, Gopal, Saravana
Directed by Santosh Sivan

She is 19 years old and a soldier in a revolutionary movement. Her brother has died for the cause, and she has killed for it. A volunteer is needed for a suicide mission. She steps forward, fiercely and silently, and is accepted. She will become a "thinking bomb," and after she places a garland of flowers around a politician's neck, she will blow them both to pieces. "The Terrorist" does not name its time or place, or the politician, but it seems broadly inspired by the 1991 assassination of India's Rajiv Gandhi. It is not a political film, but a personal one. If you have ever wondered what kind of person volunteers to become a human bomb, and what they think about in the days before their death, this film wonders, too. The movie is quiet and persuasive as it shows Malli learning more about her life--in what may be her last days-- than she ever knew before.

Summary by Roger Ebert

This is a very interesting art film that is beautifully filmed--its myriad images of water are simply stunning. Highly recommended --Bill Alward