(trans. Granny ) is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language crime drama directed by Devashish Makhija. Positioned as a dark, modern-day reimagining of the "Red Riding Hood" fairytale, the film is a stark and gritty exploration of sexual assault, institutional corruption, and vigilante justice in the slums of India. Director/Writer: Devashish Makhija. Release Date: November 24, 2017.
Critics praised Makhija’s unflinching direction and Deshpande’s career-defining performance.
Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Cast: Sushama Deshpande as Ajji. Sharvani Suryavanshi as Manda. Abhishek Banerjee as Vilasrao Dhavle. Smita Tambe as Vibha. Vikas Kumar as Dastur. Plot Summary
Sushama Deshpande gives one of the greatest performances in the history of Hindi cinema—a performance that went largely unrecognized by mainstream award shows because of the film’s dark subject matter. Ajji Hindi Movie
The film is surprisingly critical of the men in the family. The son is weak, easily bribed, and terrified of authority. The police are corrupt. The politician is a monster. When all the men fail to protect the girl, it is the elderly woman who steps up. This is a devastating critique of the patriarchy: it creates monsters, protects them, and then fails to punish them.
, the son of a powerful local politician—her 65-year-old grandmother, , takes justice into her own hands.
The film uses puppetry as a metaphorical device throughout the narrative. Ajji performs shadow puppet shows that mirror the events unfolding in reality. This adds a surreal, theatrical layer to the film, contrasting the gritty realism of the slums with the stylized storytelling of folklore. (trans
The inciting incident is brutal: 10-year-old Manda is brutally raped. The perpetrator is the son of a local influential politician. In a scenario familiar to anyone who follows news in India, the police are hesitant to act. They try to hush up the matter, offering the family a pittance as compensation or threatening them into silence. The political clout of the rapist’s family ensures that the machinery of justice does not turn.
One fateful evening, Sonali goes missing. The family’s frantic search leads them to a horrifying truth: the child has been brutally raped and left for dead in a gutter. She survives but slips into a traumatic coma.
Searching for the leads one into a web of heavy themes. The film is not merely entertainment; it is a mirror held up to Indian society. Director/Writer: Devashish Makhija
Banerjee’s portrayal captures the banality of evil. The film does not glorify him with dramatic confrontations. Instead, it shows him as a predator who assumes the world exists for his consumption. The clash between the powerful, young male antagonist and the frail, elderly female protagonist creates a tension that drives the film’s second half.
While mainstream cinema has conditioned audiences to expect justice through courtrooms or vengeful action heroes, Ajji presents a narrative that is raw, grotesque, and disturbingly quiet. It is a film that utilizes the framework of a fairy tale—specifically "Little Red Riding Hood"—to tell a story of systemic failure, sexual violence, and the terrifying wrath of the marginalized.
For those searching for the , you are not looking for a family drama. You are looking for a visceral, socio-political commentary wrapped in a tense, 96-minute nerve-shredder. This article provides a complete breakdown of the film’s plot, themes, critical reception, and why it remains a landmark in independent Indian cinema.
Released on November 24, 2017 (translating to "Grandmother") is a gritty, independent Hindi-language crime drama that reimagines the "Red Riding Hood" fairy tale as a dark revenge thriller. Directed by Devashish Makhija