Devashish Makhija’s Joram is a powerful, moving film about how India treats its tribals and indigenous people—but its form is organically, completely mainstream. It has topnotch actors/stars, it’s a thriller with action, a road movie—actually a “run movie”, where the protagonist is on the run for much of the film; there’s even a raunchy song and dance. It was at top film festivals worldwide, including Rotterdam, Sydney, Busan, Edinburgh, Chicago and Durban. What’s more, salute to Zee Studios (Shariq Patel), for not only producing this film, but distributing it theatrically worldwide, in traditional markets like India, UK, US and UAE, and far beyond, in France, Germany, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and Ireland. This is a rare miracle. Now it’s up to us to make good ‘independent’ films succeed—or be swamped with high testosterone, violent spectacles. Don’t miss this brilliant film!

Joram’s core concerns are the same as Martin Scorsese’s in Killers of the Flower Moon: how “civilised people” have systematically exploited, killed and abused indigenous people and the land, and reveals our (the audience’s) complicity in the exploitation. This is perhaps Makhija’s most ‘mainstream’ feature so far, his fourth after Oonga, Ajji and Bhonsle. He has directed a host of shorts, including Agli Baar, Taandav and Cycle; is a prolific author (Oonga, Forgetting) and poet, and has had a solo art show.