Shot on location in the bustling streets of downtown Bombay, this film chronicles the day-to-day lives of the city’s homeless children—their struggles for survival, their battles with drug addiction and prostitution, their attempts to find moments of happiness. At the center of the film is ten-year-old Chaipau, a bright-eyed boy who hopes—with heartbreaking naïveté—that his odd jobs and petty thefts will eventually earn him enough money to return to his family in the countryside. But as the gravity of his situation becomes clear, Chaipau’s optimism fades and he resigns himself to the harsh reality of life on the streets. Awarded the prestigious Camera d’Or at Cannes for best first feature, Salaam Bombay! launched Nair into the international spotlight.