Film
Anjali
அஞ்சலி
1990
About
A deeply moving family drama about a neighbourhood's shifting relationship with Anjali — a mentally challenged child kept hidden by her family, then embraced by the community after her death. One of Indian cinema's most affecting portraits of difference, belonging, and collective grief.
Video Essay
Why This Matters
Anjali is Mani Ratnam at his most emotionally direct. The film dismantles the audience's own prejudice in real time — we too kept Anjali at a distance, and we too feel the grief of having done so. Baby Shamili's performance is one of Indian cinema's great gifts.
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