293. 27 Down (1974)

Country: India Directed by Awtar Krishna Kaul The first and last movie of a very promising director who died too early, 27 Down is a bitter film about the crushed dreams of the youth under the extreme social and financial pressure of the Indian patriarchal society. The young protagonist of the movie keeps asking himself in vain who he is and where he is going as he is unable to shape his identity himself and his father chooses his job and even his wife in an arranged marriage. With beautiful black and white photography, artistic framing and a strong documentary-like feeling, 27 Down has a special place in the filmography of Indian cinema even if the various weaknesses that it has prevent it from being something even greater