I, Poppy

I, Poppy

India | 2025 | 82 mins | Marwari & Hindi with English Subtitles | Dir. Vivek Chaudhary

A son fights corrupt officials while his mother tends their poppy farm in India. As authorities strike back at their lower-caste family, they must choose between keeping food on the table and standing up for what’s right.

Filmed observationally for 5 years, I Poppy is an intimate film about the intertwining but divergent paths of poppy farmer Vardibai and her activist son Mangilal as they grapple with systemic oppression. Their moral dilemma crystallizes around a painful choice: continue bribing officials so they can survive, or fight for systemic change at tremendous personal cost. This multi-layered narrative transcends its Indian context to explore universal themes of justice, family and the human cost of standing up against institutional power.

Please show up early to ensure that you are in the theater 5 minutes before the film starts - we don't air 15 minutes of commercials.

This project is supported, in part, by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

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