Mrityudand -1997- EROS DVD

Oppression of women is the theme of this bold and fearless film about three feisty women who lash back at the men who oppress them and ultimately against the system that supports such oppression. A newly wed bride (Madhuri Dixit) slowly begins to discover the undercurrents that lie beneath the apparent calmness of the household she has married into. Her husband’s brother is obsessed with religion and lives a celibate life while his beautiful wife languishes in frustration. A young village girl (Shilpa Shirodkar) whose husband owes the family some money, is forced into prostitution to survive. The bride’s own husband (Ayub Khan) is an insensitive brute who does not care about her feelings and is only interested in the physical aspect of marriage. When the sister-in-law finds solace in the arms of the hired help (Om Puri), the feudal lawmakers in the village sentence the lovers to death. The bride slowly begins to rebel and teach the other two women to fight back too…. This powerful film is directed by Prakash Jha and depicts a facet of India that few believe even exists – the feudal, medieval values and the contempt for women.