Rudaali 1993

Thakur Ramavtar Singh, the zamindar (transl. landlord) of Barna, on his death bed, bemoans that none of his relatives would shed tears for him. He calls for a famous rudaali to mourn him after his death. Bhikni, the renowned rudaali Rakhee Gulzar, arrives and stays with the widow Shanichari Dimple Kapadia, who lives in the Thakur’s village. As their friendship grows, Shanichari tells Bhikni her life’s story, which unfolds in a sequence of vivid flashbacks.

Shanichari was born on a Shanichar (Saturday), named after the planet Shani (Saturn), considered inauspicious in Hindu astrology. She is blamed by the villagers for every misfortune around her—from her father’s death to her mother Peewli’s running off to join a theatre troupe. While still young, Shanichari is married off to Ganju, a drunkard. Her son, Budhua, whom she loves deeply, roams freely, mirroring the fate of Peewli.

Meanwhile, Lakshman Singh, the Thakur’s son, declares his affection for her and hires her as a maid to his wife. In his haveli, Lakshman presses Shanichari to challenge social norms and even encourages her to “look up” into his eyes when she speaks. One night, after she sings at the haveli, he bestows upon her a house of her own and two acres of land.

Ganju dies from cholera at a village fair. After curses and threats from the village pundit for failing to observe prescribed customs, Shanichari borrows 50 rupees to perform the rituals from Ramavatar Singh [Ravi Jhankal], and becomes a bonded labourer under him.

Some years later, a grown Budhua brings home Mungri, a prostitute, as his wife. Shanichari tries to throw her out but relents when she learns that Mungri is pregnant with Budhua’s child. Yet the snide remarks of the village pundit and shop-owners fuel tension between the two women, and in a fit of rage after a confrontation, Mungri aborts the child. Budhua leaves home. Shanichari confides to Bhikni that none of these bereavements ever moved her to tears.

One night, Bhikni is summoned to a neighboring village by a man named Bhishamdata. Ramavatar Singh dies a few hours later. Shanichari goes to bid farewell to Lakshman Singh, who intends to leave the village. A messenger arrives with the news of Bhikni’s death from the plague and reveals to Shanichari that Bhikni was her mother, Peewli. Overcome, Shanichari begins to weep uncontrollably and then steps into Bhikni’s worn shoes, becoming the new rudaali herself, crying at the Thakur’s funeral.