The Terrorist is set amongst the carnage of the civil war that has ravaged the island of Sri Lanka for decades. Traumatised by the loss of her brother in the civil war, Malli, is a young female Tamil assassin, fiercely committed and single mindedly ruthless in the pursuit of a better future for her people. She is chosen by the 'leader' to act as the human bomb that will assassinate a prominent political VIP.

The plan is set and Malli must first make the treacherous journey from her jungle hideout to the mainland and then go undercover as a research student in the village where the assassination is to take place. She is placed in the house of an unsuspecting elderly farmer for a preparation period of four days. But things start to go awry as Malli realises that an unmoving, silent set of eyes is watching her every move as she prepares to undertake the mission. A further surprise tests her commitments to the limit. Will Malli choose death and glory or will she choose life?

Santosh Sivan has already established himself as one of the leading cinematographers in Indian cinema having worked with, amongst others, the Tamil director Mani Ratnam (Nayakan, Dalpati, Bombay, Dil Se). The Terrorist is his first film and he is credited with the story, screenplay and cinematography apart from direction. The film itself, notwithstanding that it is a debut effort, is a serious and thoughtful cinematic experience. As could be expected, the cinematography and imagery in the film is stunning. The would be assassin preparing for her own death as well as that of her target is surrounded by vibrant life. The lush green forests and water contrast with the finality of her mission and bring an unsettling internal conflict to the proceedings.

There is no respite in this nerve-wracking tale despite there being little actual bloodshed after the initial reel. It is instead Sivan's ability to make the audience experience the motivations of the film's lead characters and thereby their doomed roles in this tragic saga that is so harrowing for the viewer. This is not a film that tries to be judgmental. Instead it concentrates on the emotional trauma of a war that has destroyed so many lives not sparing women or children in its wake.

Ayesha Dharker, with the expressive almond shaped eyes and dark locks, is excellent as Malli. K. Krishna as the eccentric farmer provides much of the softer emotion of the film and is a perfect foil. If one was to be nit picky, the film could be criticised for the occasional shot that lingers too long or the flash back sequences that stem from a touch of over indulgence on the part of a debut director. In addition, the excessively loud dubbing jars at some points. However, these are minor glitches in an otherwise extremely impressive debut. A moving and powerful film that will leave the viewer shaken it is a far cry from the escapism of Bollywood and shows that the South Indian film industry often produces by far the more cutting edge films in Indian cinema.

The Terrorist was shown in Cambridge as part of an Asian film festival and is apparently only the third public screening of the film. A wide release is not expected in the United Kingdom until May 2001. The film has however done the film festival route picking up a number of prestigious awards.