Chokher Bali

Binodini, a young Bengali Hindu girl, is suddenly left to her own devices when her sickly husband dies the day after their wedding. The tragedy shatters her prospects and sets the stage for her solitary return to family and tradition. The marriage ends almost before it begins, leaving Binodini to navigate her future alone.

With the weight of bereavement, Binodini goes back to her village and lives there for a couple of months. The isolation of widowhood in early 20th-century Bengal forces her to face an uncertain future. Her return also sets in motion the plan to re-enter domestic life through a relative's household.

Binodini encounters her aunt Rajalakshmi during a chance meeting and is invited to live with her family in North Kolkata. She leaves the village and relocates to the aunt's home, stepping into a cosmopolitan milieu. This move places Binodini at the center of a brewing household drama.

Mahendra, Rajalakshmi's son and a budding medical student, is among the first to see Binodini's photograph but dismisses the match as he feels unready for marriage. His early rejection foreshadows the later, more complicated entanglements. The tension between tradition and desire begins to unfold even before Binodini moves in with Rajalakshmi.

After Binodini arrives, Mahendra and his new wife Ashalata begin sneaking off to be alone together. Their growing closeness destabilizes the household and tests Rajalakshmi's traditional expectations. Binodini watches these changes from the shadows of the family circle.

Mahendra's infatuation with Ashalata leads him to catalyze changes, including introducing non-vegetarian food against Rajalakshmi's Vaishnavite values. This disagreement tears at the family's harmony as Rajalakshmi retreats to Kashi. Binodini becomes entangled in the evolving dynamics.

Ashalata, unaware of her pregnancy, discovers Mahendra's affair with Binodini and, overwhelmed by grief, leaves Mahendra to live with Rajalakshmi. Her departure exposes the fault lines in the household and deepens Binodini's isolation. Rajalakshmi's disapproval of the affair hardens the family's stance against Binodini.

Rajalakshmi, outraged by the scandal, expels Binodini from the house. Binodini is forced to leave the North Kolkata residence and seek a new path elsewhere. The social codes of the era push her toward exile rather than reconciliation.

Binodini seeks out Behari, the childhood friend who harbors feelings for Ashalata, and pleads for marriage. Behari rejects her proposal, torn by his loyalty to Ashalata and his own moral code. Binodini faces another barrier in her quest for companionship.

With few options left, Binodini returns to her village to seek a grounded future away from Kolkata's social scrutiny. The journey marks a pause in her pursuit of a lasting partnership. Yet her determination remains intact as she contemplates her next steps.

Mahendra travels to Binodini's village in an attempt to repair what was broken between them. Binodini refuses to reunite and asserts her independence. She then makes him promise to take her to Behari, seeking closure and a new path toward marriage.

During their trip to Kashi to fetch Behari, Binodini and Mahendra learn of Rajalakshmi's failing health and her death. This loss reshapes loyalties within the family and prompts Mahendra to act differently toward Ashalata. The event becomes a turning point that pushes Binodini toward new possibilities.

After Rajalakshmi's death, Mahendra apologizes to Ashalata and brings her back to Kolkata. The reunion stabilizes the household temporarily, even as Binodini remains a controversial figure. The family attempts to settle old wounds while navigating social expectations.

Binodini meets Behari again, and after a sequence of events, he agrees to marry her. The engagement represents Binodini's continued resolve to control her own fate despite social ostracism. The development hints at a hopeful future, though it remains precarious.

On the day of what would have been her wedding to Behari, Binodini disappears, leaving letters addressed to Behari and Ashalata. She apologizes for interrupting their marital bliss and reasserts her independence. The film closes on her unresolved exit, leaving her fate tantalizingly open.