Book/film review- 16
Although Rajkumar Santoshi’s latest film ‘Gandhi-Godse Ek Yuddh’ did not perform well on box office, but its conception would never be marginalised. An another film ‘Lajja’, directed and produced by him in 2001, also falls in this category that tells the journeys of four different women who are all victims of male chauvinism.
These names are Maithili, Janki, Ramdulaari, and Vaidehi, who are all version of Goddess Sita, a mythological character taken from the epic Ramayana.
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| **Video Grab** A still from the film Lajja shows Jacky Shroff fighting with Vaidehi. |
The film features ‘Manisha Koirala’ as ‘Vaidehi’, a mistreated woman, in the lead role who is brought together with other characters ‘Mahima Chaudhry’ as ‘Maithili’, ‘Madhuri Dikshit’ as ‘Janki’ and ‘Rekha’ as ‘Ramdulaari’ due to common circumstances. However, They all refuse to get abused and decide to fight for their rights against atrocities.
The story starts with Manisha Koirala as Vaidehi, a woman living with extramarital life, who gets rejected from parental support and she flees from her husband because her husband (Jacky Shroff) plans to kill her after getting the child. In attempt to run away, he meets with a thief (Anil Kapoor) who saves her life and go to hide themselves at a wedding ceremony of Maithili (Mahima Choudhary).
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| **Video Grab** A still from the film Lajja shows Mahima Choudhary shouting after she refused to marry. |
Maithili, to-be-bride, who is from a middle-class family. Her father fails to pay the dowry. The thief and Vaidehi help her to pay money to the groom's family but the theft money is recognised. She is questioned on her character in the public. Anil Kapoor (thief) comes forward in support, but she finally denies to marry.
Anil Kapoor is sent to jail. Vaidehi visits his relative who runs a theatre company where Madhuri Dixit as Janki works. Janki is in love with her colleague. Janki is pregnant, but not married, and does not care for society's norms. Janki's lover asks her to abort the child, as he suspects that he might not be the real father. She gets outraged and botches a scene during a performance of the Ramayana. The outraged audience assaults Janki, causing her to suffer a miscarriage. It is more emotional scene that displays the harsh reality of man-dominant society.
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| **Video Grab** A still from the film Lajja shows Madhuri Dixit lying on street after being assaulted. |
From there, Vaidehi also flees by train. Robbers attempt to loot the train. People travelling in the train are saved by ‘Ajay Devgn’ as ‘ Bulwa’, an exploited lower caste man who becomes a revolutionary and lives in the forest. During the bloodshed in the train, Vaidehi gets fainted and is saved and shifted for treatment to ‘Rekha’ as ‘Ramdulaari’ who is in social work. She treats villagers with traditional method and educates people. She is a midwife who bravely opposes the village leaders (Danny and Gulshan Grover) who exploit innocent women, young and old. She is raped and burnt alive as her son falls in love with the village leader's daughter.
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| **Video Grab** A still from the film Lajja shows Rekha with Manisha Koirala stopping a woman who still uses her thumb as signature. In the film, Rekha educates underprivileged women. |
Finally, all lead characters enjoy a happy life. Vaidehi names her daughter as Ramdulaari, and with her husband shifts to USA where Anil Kapoor rides taxi after marrying with Maithili.
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| **Video Grab** A still from the film Lajja shows a minor girl holding a kid. It is her age of playing with other children but she cares a kid. It’s still a harsh reality of current rural society. |
The storyline of the Lajja portrays two types of people living in society: good and bad. It displays the shameful act of patriarchal set-up and pushes the idea of feminism. It is one of its kind movie that narrates the story of women power.
Star : 4 (****) out of 5.
