Mohan Agashe Movies

When Amit Kumar (Ajay Devgan) arrives to fill his new post as superintendent of police in the notorious Tejpur district of Bihar, he faces a virtual sea of corruption in director Prakash Jha's hard-hitting drama. It seems that virtually everyone in Tejpur has been bought out by Sadhu (Mohan Joshi) and Sundar Yadav (Yashpal Sharma) -- the self-proclaimed outlaw rulers of the town -- and the majority of the police force is no exception. Though Amit faces resistance from virtually everyone in sight when he attempts to rid the city of the criminal element, a formerly corrupt young officer named Bachha (Mukesh Twari) decides to back his new boss and do his best to put an end to the Yadav's reign of terror. When Bachha and three of his fellow officers take two of Sundar's henchmen into police custody and blind them with acid, the already volatile situation soon begins to boil over into chaos. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Racially motivated violence begins to invade even the most peaceful communities in Train To Pakistan, a drama about the troubled years following India's independence. In 1947, Mano Majra, a small Punjab community along the border, has long known peaceful coexistence between the dominant Sikhs and the minority of Muslim citizens. That begins to change when word of political and ethnic tensions elsewhere in the country begins to infect the people of Mano Majra, with gang violence and forced Muslim emigration soon following. Based on a novel by Khushwant Singh, Train To Pakistan was directed by Pamela Rooks, who previously made Miss Beatty's Children and whose husband is Conrad Rooks, a noted director in his own right. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the north Indian state of Bihar, Ketki (Madhuri Dixit) marries weak Vinay (Ayub Khan), who is exploited by hard-nosed businessman Tirpat (Mohan Joshi). Ketki then organizes local women against Tirpat & Co. Her group includes her sister-in-law Chandravati (Shabana Azmi), who had a run-in with dangerous priest Abhay (Mohan Agashe). Eventually, Abhay orders a religious death sentence for the sisters. Shown at the 1997 London Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The unjust discrimination that comes with the caste system in rural India provides the basis of this socially conscious drama that centers on the relationship between a cruel, exploitative landowner and his workers who belong to a caste of pariahs. Singh is the lord of his estate. His favorite pastime is big-game hunting, but when his drinking affects his coordination, Singh must hire a shikari (a sharpshooter) to make the kills for him. He pays Bharosa well and gives him a hut in the gangato (the name of the untouchable caste) colony. There, the young hunter finds himself surrounded by discontented workers planning an uprising. Their leader is a cynical young woman, Bijari. At first Bharosa refuses to join them, but after he successfully hunts for the master a few times and still finds himself treated like dirt, he begins to feel great resentment about the humiliation inherent in being a gangato. Things come to a head when Singh, who lusts after Bijari, has her kidnapped. Unfortunately, his henchman did not count on her vigorous resistance, nor did they count on Bharosa who joins in to protect her. Later Singh gets his revenge on the young man by beating him up and ruining his shooting arm. When Singh learns that all his workers are preparing to abandon his land, he leads his gang to the village and plans to burn it. Unfortunately for him, he is met by the furious Bharosa. Violence ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Mississippi Masala is a tale of how prejudice makes victims and instigators of us all. In 1972, Indian Jay (Roshan Seth), a resident of Uganda, is forced by the bigoted Amin regime to take his family and flee the country. He vows to hate and distrust all blacks--at least until he is able to reclaim the real estate stolen from him by the Ugandan government. Flash-forward to 1990: Jay and his family have settled in Mississippi. Seth's daughter Mina (Sarit Choudhury) makes the acquaintance of African-American Demetrius (Denzel Washington), the prosperous manager of a carpet-cleaning business. At first attracted to Mina because he is fascinated by her African background, Demetrius slowly falls in love with her. The situation causes Jay to exercise the same racial prejudice by which he was himself victimized. Ironically, Demetrius behaves just as foolishly, blaming Jay's ethnic chauvinism for a drop in his business. Both Jay and Demetrius must learn to bury their pasts and their prejudices to go on with their lives. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ramulu (Om Puri) is a master weaver whose excellence is noticed by a female government official, and his work is selected to represent his country in an exhibition in Paris. Unfortunately, the selection brings about worker discord and jealousy. Ramulu alienates his daughter by using the fine silk intended for her wedding dress for a piece he submits to the international exhibit. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Noted Indian director Satyajit Ray scripted and arranged the music, as well as directed this brief look into one moment in the caste system in India. When an untouchable (an out-caste, played by Om Puri) approaches the ranking village Brahman (the highest caste, known for learning and wisdom) to request him to set an auspicious date for his daughter's upcoming wedding the Brahman is willing to perform that astrological task in exchange for some labor on the part of the untouchable. Already ailing, the old man agrees and starts to work cleaning the Brahman's house and stables. When he is set the task of chopping a nearly petrified block of wood, his fury (at his fate? at the Brahman? at the caste system itself?) increases with each blow, and in the end, the battle is too much - he succumbs to his severe physical debilities and dies. Because his body is lying in a place where Brahmans go to get water, the Brahman uses a forked stick to pick up one leg of the corpse, ties a rope around it, and hauls the body off to a spot where untouchables and animals are cremated. There is no more concern for this human being than for a bag of garbage that has to be taken out before the smell becomes offensive. And for most viewers, there could be no more eloquent an indictment against the caste system itself. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi