Kastoori (The Musk)

Vinod Kamble’s movie tells of Gopi, an intelligent Dalit teenager, who has no choice but to engage in manual scavenging in order to pay for his education. He is teased at school for the smell of his body and clothes, with his classmates covering their noses when he walks past, they are never shy of reminding him that he “smells like a gutter”. Gopi comes across the scent of a perfume called kastoori (the musk), and sees this as the way to get rid of his smell. Together with his friend Adim, they set off on a mission to get their hands on the precious scent.

Online Q&A with Vinod Kamble