Unjustly accused of stealing and cast out of his home village by his family, 11-year-old Krishna (Shafiq Syed) joins the swathes of dispossessed street children in the slums of Mumbai.
Sleeping in the rubble of the city, he struggles to survive in his merciless new environment. Forced to associate with the criminal underworld, Krishna’s childhood innocence quickly wanes as the reality of his uncertain future becomes painfully apparent.
Salaam Bombay! is the heartrending and impassioned debut fiction feature by director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding). Shot on the streets of India’s second-biggest city and starring real-life street children, the film is an authentic and unflinching portrayal of the country’s impoverished underbelly.
Critically lauded and Oscar-nominated, Salaam Bombay! is available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.
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Extras
India Cabaret (1985, 60 mins): documentary in which Mira Nair explores the duality of 'good' and 'bad' women in Indian society
Audio commentary by Mira Nair (2003)
Sandi and Bernard Sissel in Conversation (2021, 51 mins): mother and son cinematographers Sandi and Bernard Sissel talk to the BFI's John Ramchandani about how they met on Salaam Bombay!, their experiences of the film and how it changed their lives
Archive shorts (1906-1936, 34 mins): three gems from the BFI National Archive reflecting themes and iconography found in Salaam Bombay!, featuring city life in La vie aux Indes / Indian Scenes, an early Dickens adaptation of Oliver Twist and a look at tea production in India and Sri Lanka in Gardens of the Orient
Original theatrical trailer
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Booklet featuring a new contribution from director Mira Nair, new writing on the film by Manish Mathur and a biography of the director by Ellen Cheshire
