A young man learns the strange truth about a local outcast in this drama from filmmaker Chitra Palekar, starring one of India's most respected actresses, Nandita Das. Bragirath (Kshitij Gavande) is a bright young boy being raised by his father Narsu (Atul Kulkarni), a superstitious single father who can barely believe what his son has learned in science class. One day, curious Bragirath asks Narsu about Chandi (Das), an odd and unkempt woman who wanders through their village beating a metal pot to warn people of her presence. Narsu tells the lad that Chandi is a witch -- and that she also happens to be Bragirath's mother. In flashback, we are introduced to Chandi as a young and vibrant woman who is given the unpleasant task of overseeing the funerals of the village's children. Chandi sees her job as important if hardly pleasant, but in time her contact with the spirits of the dead has an unexpected impact on her and those around her. Maati Maay (aka A Grave-Keeper's Tale) received its North American premier at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
