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| Written and Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor |
Lakshmi is a
true story of heroism and untold courage.
Lakshmi is a beautiful 13
year old girl whose life takes a tragic turn. Snatched away from the security
and love of her family, Lakshmi is thrown into a life of trauma and terror, a
violent nightmare for any woman. And Lakshmi is just a child.
Lakshmi is kidnapped and
separated from her father and sisters, and sold to the Reddy brothers, the
dangerous front men for a nexus in human trafficking. Being a child, she is
separated from the other girls and taken to the elder Reddy’s house, where she
is lulled into a false sense of security, and then violently raped by
Reddy. Then she is sent to a brothel owned by the brothers.
At the brothel Lakshmi meets
Swarna, a pragmatic, tough, spunky girl and Jyoti, the “tough love” madam who
runs the brothel for the Reddy brothers. Swarna and Jyoti attuned to the
realities of the brothel and having been institutionalized teach Lakshmi the
ropes. As Lakshmi’s roommate, she helps her cope with the degradation of being
of a prostitute. But Lakshmi is not ready to be enslaved. She refuses to make
peace with the horror of her fate. But her repeated attempts at escaping only
serve to remind her of the futility of her situation - that there is no escape, and nowhere to
escape to!. Dejected, she accepts her fate.
Lakshmi makes the brothel her
home. The child Lakshmi fades away, lost in the hustle-bustle of the flesh
market. She turns to alcohol, and the other girls for support, to endure the
burden of her life.
Finally, there comes a ray of
hope with Uma- a social worker who periodically brings relief to the girls in
form sweets, necessities, medication, sympathy and love. She tells Lakshmi she
has found her family. Her hopes rekindled, Lakshmi decides to escape again. But
this time she is caught by the younger and far more ruthless Reddy brother. He
beats Lakshmi senseless and shows no mercy. He puts her back to work
immediately and as punishment for her transgressions “ups” the customer quota.
Lakshmi’s health fails but Reddy doesn’t relent.
One such 'customer' is Mohan.
As part of an NGO against women trafficking and working with Uma, Mohan
organizes a sting operation to rescue the girls. All they need is a witness,
just one woman who will speak against the Reddy brothers in the court - they
don’t find one!
Against all odds, the
terrorized, degraded and broken child-woman shows courage where everybody else
fails. Resisting all pressure: violent threats, coercion and bribes, she stands
up in court and in a historic landmark case, succeeds in putting the Reddy
brothers as well as everyone involved in the nexus – all the way to the top –
behind bars.
Lakshmi is
the story of a frightening reality that haunts women from deprived backgrounds.
But it is also the true story of a child whose spirit could not be broken. A
hero in a land filled with cowards, whose courage and determination finally
triumphs over evil.
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CAST
& CREW
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Cast
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Character
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Monali Thakur
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LAKSHMI
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Shifali Shah
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JYOTHI
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Ram Kapoor
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AVINASH
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Nagesh Kukunoor
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CHINNA
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Satish Kaushik
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AVINASH
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Flora Saini
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SWARNA
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Vibha Chibber
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AMMA
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Gulfam Khan
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CORPORATOR RADHA
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Production Title
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Pen films
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UV News Media &
Communication Limited
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SIC productions
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a Kukunoor Movies Production
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Crew
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Written and Directed by
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Nagesh Kukunoor
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DOP
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Chirantan Das
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Editor
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Sanjeeb Datta
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Art Director
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Haris Umar Khan
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Costume
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Aparna Shah
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Sound Designer
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Vipin Bhati
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Lyrics
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Manoj Yadav
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Music & Background Score
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Tapas Relia
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Produced by
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Jayantilal Gada & Satish Kaushik
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Produced by
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Elahe Hiptoola & Nagesh
Kukunoor
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