Salaam Bombay! [Blu-ray] [Criterion Collection]

Joining the ranks of such previous "street children" classics as Shoeshine and Pixote is the Anglo-Indian Salaam Bombay! Shafig Syed plays Krishna, a country boy forced to grow up in the slums of New Delhi. Soon, Krishna knows no other life than hustling and stealing, and no other "neighbors" than the druggies, pimps and prostitutes who populate the teeming streets. The grimness of the subject matter is leavened at times with a steady stream of fascinating and colorful supporting characters. Salaam Bombay! was the first fictional feature from documentary filmmaker Mira Nair; though the story is scripted, the actors are genuine street people. The film won the Golden Camera and Prix de Publique awards at the Cannes Film Festival.