American actor John Malkovich was so impressed by Santosh Sivan's striking directorial debut that he personally made sure the film was released in the United States. THE TERRORIST tells the story of Malli (Ayesha Dharker), a 19 year-old Sri Lankan girl who is overjoyed to be hand picked for a suicide mission that calls for her to assassinate a prominent Indian politician by approaching him bundled up in explosives. Malli must make a two-day trip through the lush Sri Lankan jungle to carry out her mission, and during the journey she begins to have doubts. This relatively short trip turns into a personal journey of epic proportions for Malli, and the jungle, made alternately haunting and beautiful, is the perfect backdrop for her dark night of the soul. Sivan's engaging film was inspired by the events surrounding the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi.
