

A teacher vs. an entire village's greed — and somehow you're rooting for everybody.
A school master and his students at a small school in a village in Maharashtra fight against all odds to keep the school open against the efforts of many in the village who would prefer the children work instead of attend school.
Acting
Sarang Sathaye anchors with restrained, devastating warmth.
Writing
Villain isn't a person — it's a broken economic system.
Director
Pushkar Sudhakar Shrotri
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Title references Nguni philosophy of 'I am because we are' — ironic given the village's collective betrayal of that ideal.
Based on real Maharashtra school closures; Shrotri spent months in rural Satara to capture authentic dialect and power dynamics.