“Devi” (2020) by Priyanka Banerjee

A tale of sisterhood. A tale of suffering. A tale of truth.

In honour of International Women’s Day, here is a grim reminder of the world that we live in. ‘Devi’, written and directed by Priyanka Banerjee, is a fantasy as much as it is rooted in a bleak reality. In a society that readily accepts violence and injustice meted out to women, the film imagines what happens to them after they die. It is a powerful perspective, and the way it plays out is painfully ironic.

The film starts with a group of women in a room, busy performing seemingly ordinary tasks. Despite the ‘normalcy’, something seems off. When a new girl arrives at the door, an argument begins. The women have to decide whether to let her in or not. What happens at the end is unexpected and heartbreaking.

‘Devi’ is not an easy watch, but watch you must – if not for the story, then for the many great performances by a stellar cast.