Victoria No 203 (1972, India)

A long film with plenty of plot variations, made at a time before India's film making industry matured fully. After the theft of priceless diamonds from an exhibition, the police are in turmoil to catch the miscreants. But one man is knifed in the back and collapses when he tries to hire a horse-drawn carriage, known as a Victoria. In hospital he tells a nurse the carriage's number, 203, just before he expires.

The bumbling police conclude that the carriage owner-driver assaulted the man, and he goes to prison. His daughter is now destitute and alone in the world; her landlord wants his rent, and she has no means of supporting herself, as women aren't allowed to get carriage licences. However quick application of a false moustache and she is away.

Her role as a male carriage driver leads her to hear all sorts of confidences from men, and this role continues throughout the film. However in the final few minutes, we see that a man has promised to reform his ways and to stop drinking and womanising. A friend puts him to the test by passing him in the street soon after, wearing the full muslim female covering often referred to as a burqa. Notwithstanding the passion-killing design of the clothing, the supposedly reformed character stops the woman and tries to assault her. However we see that the person's hands are rather masculine, and a moment later the friend reveals himself, to rebuke the man who had so quickly failed to reform.

HF February 2008

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