Santheyalli Nintha Kabira (2016)

Kabir, a weaver in Varanasi, writes and sings simple couplets that mock empty ritual and the divisions between Hindus and Muslims, and the common people love him for it. The priests and clerics he offends, and later the rulers they appeal to, do not, and the film follows his life as his fame grows and the persecution against him mounts, while his family bears the strain. Santheyalli Nintha Kabira ("Kabir standing in the marketplace") is based on Bhisham Sahni's Hindi play Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein, and gives Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar one of his rare historical roles. Its music, rooted in Kabir's verses, was composed by Ismail Darbar, the composer of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas.