Pagglait 2021

Sandhya, a young widow, begins life after the sudden death of her husband, Astik, who passed away just five months into their marriage. In a house crowded with grieving relatives, Astik’s parents, Usha and Shivendra Giri, grapple with their loss and the weight of financial dependence on their eldest son. The melancholy atmosphere thickens as visitors spill into every corner, turning mourning into a hectic, noisy affair. Sandhya’s measured, almost detached responses to endless condolence posts on social media baffle some and irritate others, and a relative, Ghanshyam, even suggests she might be experiencing PTSD. When Sandhya’s best friend, Nazia, comes to support her, she confesses to Nazia that she feels nothing for the loss of her husband.

To escape the overwhelming scene, Sandhya slips away with Nazia for a quick street feast of golgappe, while Astik’s younger brother, Alok, carries out the funeral rituals by the river. The two stories—of a couple who were not particularly close in the months they spent together and of a family trying to salvage a broken future—begin to intertwine as Sandhya searches for Astik’s documents to claim a bank settlement and discovers a photo of another woman tucked in his closet. The girl from the photo, Aakanksha, is confronted by Sandhya in private. Aakanksha explains that she and Astik were deeply in love since college and worked at the same company, but she insists Astik never cheated on Sandhya and that their bond endured until the moment he married Sandhya. Despite Sandhya’s initial doubt, the two women gradually navigate the truth, and Sandhya tries to learn more about the man she believed she knew.

Meanwhile, the family’s plans collide with the reality of Astik’s INR 50 lakhs insurance policy, naming Sandhya as the sole nominee. Shivendra and Usha listen as his brothers—Tarun Giri, Ghanshyam, and Papu Tayaji—urge using the payout to clear bank loans and push to replace Sandhya as the policy beneficiary. The elders also propose an arrangement that Sandhya should be married off to Astik’s paternal cousin, Aditya, a young man who is unemployed and financially unstable, hoping to merge the families’ futures. Aditya speaks of his love for Sandhya, and she accepts the proposal, which further incites the disapproval of her parents and, notably, Alok, who is also in love with her.

On the thirteenth day of Astik’s funeral, Aditya vanishes after being urged to commit to the match. His family later claims that Sandhya told him she was pregnant with Astik’s child, a claim challenged when Aditya’s sister, Aditi, reveals that Sandhya had lied about pregnancy to test his devotion. Sandhya then disappears from her in-laws’ house, choosing to redefine her future on her own terms.

As Sandhya contemplates a new life, her perspective shifts. She recalls her childhood and the persistent pressure from her parents to marry rather than to pursue independence. Watching Aakanksha at work inspires her to seek a job and financial stability of her own, recognizing that patriarchal norms have shaped many of her decisions. This realization fuels a determination to break free from the expectations that governed her growing up.

In a decisive turn, Sandhya writes three letters—one to Usha, her mother; one to Alka, and one to Alok—to bid farewell to her in-laws and to pledge her support for them in the same way her husband had before. She also returns the photograph Astik kept in his book to [Aakanksha], offering a quiet apology for her prior outburst. The final scene follows Sandhya boarding a bus, ready to face life anew, emboldened by a new sense of purpose and the belief that she can shape her own future.