In the lobby of a modest Bombay hotel, 20 young women from across India arrive for an intense beauty boot camp. They are the hand-picked contestants for the Miss India pageant. Winning the coveted title means instant stardom, a lucrative career path and, for some girls, freedom from the constraints of a patriarchal society.
As the contestants move through beauty boot camp, Pahuja travels to another corner of India to visit an annual camp for young girls run by the Durgha Vahini, the women’s wing of the militant fundamentalist movement.
Through lectures and physical combat training, the girls learn what it means to be good Hindu women and how to fight against Islam, Christianity and Western influences by any means necessary. The Indian government says these camps promote terrorism and is trying to ban them. Until now, they have never been filmed.
At the camp we meet a dynamic Durgha Vahini youth leader who has already fought on the front lines and says she is willing to die for her beliefs. Yet her passionate desire to work for the cause sparks constant household friction; her father insists she will marry and soon.
A lively, provocative portrait of the world’s largest democracy at a critical transitional moment.
These young women may represent opposing extremes but in their hearts they share a common dream: to help shape the future of India as she meets the world before her.
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Riveting.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
A definite must-watch.
HUFFINGTON POST
Beautiful and poignant.
FILMMAKER MAGAZINE
Powerfully illustrates a palpable tension between tradition and modernity.
THE REVEALER
Clear-eyed and powerful.
DVD TALK
A vivid portrayal of culture clash.
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