The World Before Her

In Bombay, twenty young women compete for the Miss India pageant, the ultimate glamour event in a country that has gone mad for beauty contests. Winning the coveted title means instant stardom, a lucrative career path and, for some girls, freedom from the constraints of a patriarchal society. In another corner of India, an annual camp for young girls is being run by the Durgha Vahini, the women’s wing of the militant Hindu fundamentalist movement. Moving between the transformative action in both places and the characters’ private lives, The World Before Her creates a lively, provocative portrait of the world’s largest democracy at a critical transitional moment.