'Tragic end to a very tragic life'

london: shekhar kapur, director of the film bandit queen on thursday said the shadow of behmai massacre carried out by phoolan devi, who was killed by unidentified gunmen in delhi on wednesday, finally caught up with her. "i feel the shadow of the 1981 behmai massacre had finally caught up with phoolan devi. there has always been a threat to her from that source.i'm just surprised that she didn't have more security," he said. kapur, who also directed the oscar-nominated film elizabeth, said "just when it seemed she was finally getting her life together, it is sad that somebody has come and taken it away." 52-year old kapur, who is currently editing a new film in london said he first met phoolan devi in 1994 after he had finished filming bandit queen but before it was screened. they had remained friendly, despite their differences over the film. he said at first she backed the film at the delhi film festival, then withdrew her support, only to change her mind again later. "i think phoolan devi was pulled in different directions, as happens when you suddenly become a celebrity and everyone wants to own you. i fear the jungle of politics and media in delhi was probably more vicious than the ravines in which she operated as a bandit," the veteran film director said. kapur said "it is a very strange thing to say about someone who was raped and who killed a lot of people, but every time i met her i was quite taken aback at her quiet earthy innocence. that is what i made the film about, innocence destroyed. but when i met her i found that innocence intact". he pointed out that in the film itself she never was the gun wielding bandit. "she was a victim of society and she picked up the gun only when pushed to the corner," kapur said.