Year: 1989
Runtime: 147 mins
Language: Hindi
Director: Manik Chatterjee
Amit wants a modern wife, but his parents marry him to the village girl Madhuri. He rejects her, so Madhuri adopts the persona of the urbane Malathi and returns to his life, forcing Amit to confront his biases as tradition meets modernity in a tale of love and identity.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Bahurani (1989), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Amit Chaudhary, Rakesh Roshan, is a modern guy raised in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) and educated in the USA. He wants to marry a compatible woman who is educated like him and shares his views. To the contrary, his parents fix his marriage with Madhuri, a beautiful, intelligent and traditional village girl. Rekha plays Madhuri. Amit tries to reject but his father adamantly demands that he should marry Madhuri or leave the house. Having no choice, Amit waits for an opportunity.
Madhuri lives along with her widowed mother and her brother Shrikant, Rakesh Bedi. Shrikant comes to Amit’s house before the marriage and Amit’s father demands dowry in the form of gold just to make fun of him. He takes that seriously and, thinking the wedding will not take place if he can’t get the gold, gets fake jewellery. During the wedding ceremony, Amit observes that and takes that opportunity to reject the bride despite the fact that the wedding has already taken place and Madhuri is his wife now. Amit’s father, Utpal Dutt, and the family press Madhuri to wait for Amit to correct his behavior.
But after a year, Amit wouldn’t come back to take Madhuri to her in-laws house. Madhuri wants to get a job in Bombay and goes to an interview. There, she learns that Amit is the boss and is hired anyway. She changes her name to Malathi Choudhury, and as Amit hasn’t seen her face previously, doesn’t recognize her. He develops feelings for Malathi and later she reciprocates them. He wants to marry her, hiding the fact that he is married.
Amit’s parents still waiting for Madhuri learn about Malathi and try to confront her. They recognize Madhuri and want to continue the game. At last, Madhuri’s mother, Urmila Bhatt, reveals Malathi’s real identity to Amit and he plays a little drama too. At last, Amit asks for forgiveness and invites Madhuri as daughter-in-law to his house, closing a chapter that began with a clash of modernity and tradition and ending on a note of reconciliation. Usha Kiran appears as Laxmi Chaudhary, Madhuri’s mother, adding depth to the family dynamics and the emotional core of the story.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:19
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