Basic Information
- Title: Daayra
- Language: Hindi
- Genre: Drama / Social
- Release Year: 1996
- Runtime: Approximately 135 minutes
- Director & Writer: Amol Palekar
- Producers: NFDC (National Film Development Corporation of India)
Main Cast
- Nirmal Pandey as Tara (a transgender character)
- Sonali Kulkarni as The Girl
- Supporting Actors: Kalpana Rao, Ashish Vidyarthi, Rajeshwari Sachdev
Plot Summary
Daayra (meaning “The Square/Circle”) follows the unusual companionship of a young girl who has escaped sexual assault and a transgender dancer who saves her.
- The girl disguises herself as a boy to avoid danger.
- Together, they travel through rural India, confronting issues of gender identity, social prejudice, and violence against women.
- Their bond challenges traditional definitions of love, gender, and freedom.
Critical Reception & Awards
- Screened at several international film festivals (including the Toronto International Film Festival).
- Nirmal Pandey won the Best Actress Award at the Valencia International Film Festival (1997)—a rare honour for a male actor playing a female role.
- Widely acclaimed for its progressive portrayal of gender fluidity and social commentary, long before these topics were openly discussed in mainstream Indian cinema.
Music
- Music Composer: Amol Palekar
- Minimal background score, focusing on natural sounds and folk influences.
Key Themes
- Gender and identity
- Social hypocrisy
- Violence against women
- Love beyond societal norms
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