Ghashiram Kotwal, a stylized film version of Vijay Tendulkar's radical Marathi play chronicling the Peshwa regime in western India. The Peshwa empire, based in Pune, was the only one of its extent in India under Brahmin rule. The film made in 1976 in a sensitive political situation when a state of emergency was declared in India, describes the intrigues of a game of political power, oppression, revolt, and the mobilization of subversive forces in Pune—and the ultimate victory of colonial power. It was produced by a group of young filmmakers (mostly fresh graduates of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune) who were conscious of their role (working outside the Bombay film industry) and believed that taking political failings as the film's theme and giving visual expression to them was their collective task. That makes the film not only a piece of topical Indian history, but also an important milestone in international film history.