22 June 1897, a 1979 Marathi drama, tells the true story of the internal strife and eventual violence following the imposition of martial law in the western Indian city of Pune in 1897. An outbreak of bubonic plague in the area caused British official Charles Walter Rand, Assistant Collector of Pune and Chairman of the Special Plague Committee, to deal extremely harshly with the citizens of the area, forcibly evacuating them and destroying and fumigating their dwellings. Much popular resentment then fomented, particularly among militant followers of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, an Indian independence leader. Damodar Chapekhar and his two brothers plotted and executed an assassination plot against Mr. Rand. The film's title derives from the actual date of the assassination, occurring just after Mr Rand left an imperial celebration of Queen Victoria's 60th coronation anniversary. British Army officer Lt. Charles Egerton Ayers, was mistakenly killed first, but the brothers persevered and ultimately shot Rand, as well. Rand died July 3, 1897, of his wounds. An intensive manhunt for the rebellious Pune natives ensued, and the fates of the brothers are intertwined with the success or failure of the hunt. The film was co-written by Shankar Nag and Nachiket Patwardhan and directed by the husband and wife team of Jayoo Patwardhan and Nachiket Patwardhan. The cast was primarily made up of performers from the Theater Academy of Pune.moreless
