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Joining the ranks of such previous "street children" classics as Shoeshine and Pixote is the Anglo-Indian Salaam Bombay! Shafig Syed plays Krishna, a country boy forced to grow up in the slums of New Delhi. Soon, Krishna knows no other life than hustling and stealing, and no other "neighbors" than the druggies, pimps and prostitutes who populate the teeming streets. The grimness of the subject matter is leavened at times with a steady stream of fascinating and colorful supporting characters. Salaam Bombay! was the first fictional feature from documentary filmmaker Mira Nair; though the story is scripted, the actors are genuine street people. The film won the Golden Camera and Prix de Publique awards at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Salaam Bombay! (1988)
113 min
Young Krishna is abandoned at the Apollo Circus by his mother, who informs him that he can only return home when he can afford ₹500 for his brother's bicycle that he destroyed. The circus leaves Krishna behind and he travels to Bombay, where he delivers tee and befriends a heroin addict and a young prostitute. Krishna dreams of saving ₹500 to return home, but Bombay street life isn't easy.