Ranganayaki 1981

Ranganayaki is a theater artiste who plays the lead female role in every production of the drama company owned by her foster-father. When a wealthy man, Nagaraja, falls in love with her, she marries him and steps away from the stage, bringing the curtain down on the life that defined her.

Her departure hits the troupe hard, and the drama company struggles to stay afloat as profits dwindle and audiences wane. In a moment of crisis—when the company faces trouble after the new actress absconds—Ranganayaki dons the grease paint to defend her father’s reputation. This bold return costs her marriage; her husband leaves town with their year-old son.

Back in the theatre, after her father dies and mounting losses force the closure of the drama company, she finds a path forward. With the support of her foster-brother Ramanna, she reinvents herself as a popular movie heroine, known to audiences as Mala.

Two decades pass, and Shekhar, a college student, becomes her most ardent fan and falls for her. Neither knows the truth about their relationship — that she is his mother.

A chance encounter with her ex-husband rekindles Mala’s longing to meet her son. Yet circumstances prevent it, and by the time Shekhar realizes the truth about her identity, Mala, who suffers from bouts of depression, would have taken her own life.