Raj Kumar Santoshi has dome it again.This gifted guy has fashioned a movie of intense emotions.He is not in the calibre of Sanjay Leela Bhansali of Khamoshi fame but still he makes us feel something for the woman protagonists of Lajja.It is an unusual story by Bollywood standards.It is the story of a disenchanted Indian housewife staying in the USA.Vaidehi(Manisha Koirala)is fed up of her husband(Jackie Shroff)fooling around with women all the time.Whenever she questions him he dismisses them off as her being narrow minded and behind the times.
So she decides to move out of the marraige and thinks that her parents will support her but they turn a blind eye towards her plight thinking all the time about their position in society.Then she decides to go on the run from them all.It is on this journey she meets all sorts of people who are fighting personal wars of their own.The rest of this movie is dedicated to her interaction with them.
First she meets Raghu(Anil Kapoor)wh is a thief on the lam from the cops.They both gate crash a wedding where they are both witness to sections of society playing different games in the name od dowry.The girl Maithili(Mahima Choudhary)s to be married off to her college sweetheart.But her father is still struggling to collect the dowry money on the wedding day under impossible odds.She realises what her father is going through and gives a dressing down to the in laws and throws them out of the wedding hall.There are so many sub plots going around.
Then she meets Janaki(Madhuri Dikshit) who is an unwed mother to be.She works in a play company and is the centre of her lecherous boss’s attention.But here is a woman with a mind all her own and she just will not submit to any man’s overtures.Madhuri’s characterisation in the movie is simply too good.Her character is full of fire and brimstone.
Lastly she comes to this village where she comes across Ramdulari(Rekha)who is a midwife and a Dalit woman who has dared to bring up her son single handedly and incurs the wrath of the local zamindars when her son falls for the zamindar’s daughter.All hell breaks loose.So this is the gist of the story.All the heroines have given powerful performances.Especially Manisha and Madhuri.
Manisha displays her acting capabilities very well and she looks every bit vulnerable as the role required her to.Madhuri displays her character with the dedication that she gives to each and every role of hers.Her shining moment comes when she questions the Ramayana through a stage performance.I do not know why Rekha was given the role of a Dalit woman in the village because she is hamming through and through.Of course she also has her moments of glory in the movie.Among the heroes Jackie is terrific as the dominating husband who wants his wife at any cost.Anil Kapoor is good enough as the man who has a cheerful outlook on society.Like he says that however ugly a guy in India looks, he wants a fair complexioned bride for himself.Which is very true.I am ashamed to say this.But then this flick is supposed to be an eye opener to the atrocities being committed on women in out country.
Santoshi’s direction is very competent.Annu Malik’s music is lack lustre, full of his characteristic drumbeats.Illayaraja’s background score is fantastic, especially in the credit titles.Ajay Devgan shines in his brief moments in the movie.All in all a good movie which makes you a bit uncomfortable during it’s many moments.It forces you to think about so many things.That means that the director has succeeded in his mission.