The Choma Drum
(Chomana dudi)

The film’s theme is caste and class oppression. Choma and his daughter work as laborers to pay back a sum of 20 rupees borrowed years ago. Choma dreams of one day owning some land, a dream out of proportion to the caste to which he belongs. Three of his children die in succession, and a Christian priest tries to convert him by promising him two acres of land, but Choma refuses. Finally, his daughter manages to repay the debt by sleeping with the plantation’s overseer. Overjoyed at first, Choma falls from grace when he sees her in the arms of the overseer. He dies of disillusionment.