Trishagni (English: The Sand Storm) is a 1988 Hindi film directed by Nabendu Ghosh, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film was based on a historical short story set some time after the Asokan Missions, Moru O Sangho written by Saradindu Bandopadhyay, and inspired by Buddha's Fire Sermon,^[1] and starred Nana Patekar, Nitish Bharadwaj, Pallavi Joshi and Alok Nath in the lead roles.

The film received critical acclaim,^[2] and was awarded the 1988 National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director, "For excellent exploration of complex philosophical theme for the first time in Indian cinema.".^[3]

Synopsis

The film is set in the Buddhist town of Sariput in the deserts of Central Asia, around 200 B.C., when the town is struck by a devastating sandstorm that leaves behind only four survivors: two monks, and two children taking refuge in the monastery. Twenty years later, the monks have aged, while the boy (Nitish Bhardwaj) and the girl (Pallavi Joshi) have grown and fall in love. The jealous monk deceitfully persuades the boy to become a monk, but the girl wins him back. As a result, both are expelled from the monastery, and that is when the sandstorm strikes once again.^[4]

Cast

• Nana Patekar as Uchanda
• Pallavi Joshi as Iti
• Alok Nath as Thera
• Nitish Bharadwaj as Nirvana

Critical reception

Trishagni is also one of the films featured in Avijit Ghosh's book, 40 Retakes: Bollywood Classics You May Have Missed