Sharda, a nurse and single mother, raises her daughter Swati as an independent, articulate young woman. Swati is a strong advocate of women's rights in a society where there is significant male domination. Swati deals with eve teasers firmly, sometimes with considerable force. When a married friend of hers gets raped in the presence of her husband, she acts as a counsellor and helps them adjust to the reality of a society that blames the victim and not the rapists. Swati takes on a huge transformation when she meets a political activist and falls in love with him. She embarks on a project of matchmaking for her mother and engineers a wedding with a widower who has a grown-up daughter.
Acting
Meenakshi Sheshadri's firebrand energy carries every frame.
Writing
Bold 80s screenplay tackles rape culture without flinching.
Costume
Peak 80s power dressing: shoulder pads as armor.
Director
Kranthi Kumar
Meenakshi Sheshadri
Swati
Shashi Kapoor
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Sharmila Tagore
Sharda
Akbar Khan
Ram Mohan "Comrade"
Madhuri Dixit
Anandi
Vinod Mehra
Satya Prakash
Sarika
Dancer / Singer
Raja Bundela
Kamdev Prasad Chironjilal Rokadia 'Kapil Dev'
Arjun
Manohar Joshi
Shubha Khote
Mrs. Saroj Bhatnagar
Dinesh Hingoo
Satyanarayan Chaubey
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Madhuri Dixit appears in an early supporting role as the stepsister Anandi, years before becoming Bollywood's biggest star.
Released during India's growing women's movement, the film mirrors real debates about marital rape laws (which remain uncriminalized today).
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