17th BIFFes 2026
Jan 29th - 06th Feb 2026
"Woman: Shared Sensibilities, A Collective Voice for Equality"
Ambika, a young pregnant woman from a marginalized caste in Kerala, is left devastated when her husband Shibu, a village officer, dies by suicide after enduring relentless caste-based discrimination at his workplace. His struggle to secure a government job had been a rare achievement for their community, but the system denied him dignity. Left without support, Ambika applies for a job under Kerala compassionate appointment scheme. Forced to travel from Palakkad to Thiruvananthapuram, she encounters the same prejudice, apathy, and red tape that destroyed her husband. Humiliated, harassed, and repeatedly turned away, Ambika gathers the courage to confront the system. Yet justice remains distant, and survival becomes her only victory in a society unwilling to change.
"ಕೆರೆಳದ ಅಂಚಿನ ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಗರ್ಭಿಣಿ ಯುವತಿ ಅಂಬಿಕಾ, ಪತಿ ಶಿಬು ಜಾತಿ ಆಧಾರಿತ ಭೇದಭಾವದಿಂದ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡ ನಂತರ ಕುಸಿದು ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಉದ್ಯೋಗಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ ಅವಳು, ಪಾಲಕ್ಕಾಡಿನಿಂದ ತಿರುವನಂತಪುರದವರೆಗೆ ಅದೇ ಪೂರ್ವಾಗ್ರಹ ಮತ್ತು ಕಚೇರಿ ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅವಮಾನ ಮತ್ತು ನಿರಾಕರಣೆಯ ನಡುವೆಯೂ ಅಂಬಿಕಾ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸುವ ಧೈರ್ಯ ತೋರಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ, ಆದರೆ ನ್ಯಾಯಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಬದುಕುಳಿಯುವುದೇ ಅವಳ ಏಕೈಕ ಜಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ."
Producer(s) or Production Company:
Dr. Prahlad Vadakkepat
Screenplay:
Rajesh Thillenkeri
Director of Photography:
Samal P Thomas
Editor :
Sujirbabu Surendran
Music :
Sudhenduraj MR
Unni K.R. is an acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker with a career spanning feature films, documentaries, and commercial cinema. He began as a screenwriter and associate director, working with leading Malayalam filmmakers, before directing the award winning documentaries and over 100 ad films. His debut feature ONKARA, the first film made in the Markodi language of the Mavilan tribal community, received wide international acclaim, multiple awards, and academic recognition. His latest feature is A PREGNANT WIDOW.