Dadi: "The Super Woman"

Dadi: The sweeper woman

In Banaras sweepers are called “Bhangi”. In fact we had shot the dialogues with the word Bhangi. Luckily, in time we learnt that censor board would have huge objection to that word (Though,if you have seen Omkara, you know how flexible they can be on these matters, if you have right pulls).

Any way we replaced the word “Bhangi” by “Kam jaat”

Dadi’s character was one of the earliest ones conceived.
She was to be an uneducated and a very wise woman who had seen life from very close quarters. She would have to be able to relate to the dilemma of the child, Soham, who was being persecuted in the school by the Brahmin teachers and boys, and be able to guide him towards the great path of the sages.

There were several scenes in the original story, highlighting how Soham was growing up under the prudent guidance of Dadi.

I will describe a scene that was not in the movie:

Soham is lying in a cot by the side of Dadi. They are seen in the dim light of a lantern. He is sad because of the persecution from boys in the school.. Dadi holds Soham’s palm and points out towards his five fingers.

“Sohan, (pointing at the little finger of the palm)…you are born here… you have to try harder…”

Dadi's role was an important one in Banaras and I was very determined to cast someone fresh. One day I went to see an English play in Bombay and as I watched the lead player perform, I was mesmerized. At the end of the play I met her back stage and offered her the role.

That was Meenal Patel, the veteran stage actor, whom we now know as Dadi.