This is the true and dramatic story of Phoolan Devi

She was born in 1963 in a small village in one of the lowest castes in Uttar Pradesh, northern state of India. Married 11 years to a man much older and frustrated, which never ceases to beat and rape her, she rebels and flees which has the effect of being rejected by everyone, including his family.
After many adventures and continual mistreatment she is kidnapped by dacoits, robbers outlaw, who have the responsibility to eliminate it. She will succeed with one of them became leader to take control of the band and it will start from village to village to attack landowners, stealing from the rich and give to the poor. The fame of Phoolan Devi will grow and it will become very popular. After years of hiding enamel of the greatest dangers it will end with his band by surrender to the police in 1983.

Freed in 1994 after 11 years in captivity, she engages in politics in 1996 and was elected MP.
Phoolan Devi is more than ever a threat to his enemies, those it has fought. They will not disarm and it will eventually be murdered in 2001 in Delhi.

Meanwhile she has met a French journalist, interested in his journey that will make him tell his story and draw this book (it ends with his surrender in 1983) to be a best seller and will allow Phoolan Devi to travel in the West to testify.

Besides this book is remarkably written, I remained completely stunned by the incredible number of misfortunes that have befallen Phoolan from a young age and his uncanny ability to say no, to resist, and luckily for her the chance the has served more than once to get out of the most desperate situations. All these very difficult trials, where many in his place would have sunk, have enriched Phoolan Devi and she could neither read nor write, became a symbol of women's courage.
And one can only note that many women have and exceptional destinies by their courage all over the world, particularly in Asia and Latin America. Unfortunately they often pay with their lives.

Read this book is a bit also a way to honor them.

Note that Bandit Queen (Bandit Queen [DVD]) Shekhar Kapur is the excellent and faithful illustration of the book cinema.