Dahan

On a quiet open road, a newlywed couple, Romita Chaudhury, Rituparna Sengupta and Palash Chaudhury, Abhishek Chatterjee, are brutalized by unknown goons. The assault leaves Romita shaken, but a remarkable act of courage comes from an unexpected quarter: a schoolteacher named Jhinuk, Indrani Haldar, who rushes to the scene and helps the injured pair. The incident shocks the community, and the press soon hails Jhinuk as a heroine for not turning away. The scene establishes a tension between public adulation and private fear, as Romita’s pain begins to spill into a legal battle that will test two women in very different ways.

Days later, a grave breach changes everything. Palash, driven by a misunderstanding and a surge of rage, rapes Romita in a moment of personal catastrophe. The trauma pushes Romita to retreat to her parents’ house, where she encounters her elder sister and contemplates a future far from the in‑laws, even dreaming of a move to Canada. Her sister, eager to help, considers arranging a tour that would bring Romita and Palash together, but Romita makes clear that she must come alone. This decision underscores Romita’s determination to chart her own course, even as the shadow of family expectations weighing on her grows heavier.

Back in the home orbit, Romita’s resolve is tested by pressure from conservative in-laws and a confusing court process. Depressed and isolated, Romita finds it hard to reach Jhinuk or to connect with her on the phone, so the two women cannot unite their voices or coordinate their strategies for the courtroom. The case becomes entangled in social norms that push Romita to alter or downplay her testimony, casting a pall over the pursuit of justice. The dynamics within the family—an insistence on maintaining appearances and preserving reputation—contribute to a sense of isolation that clouds the path to truth.

Across town, Jhinuk’s unwavering commitment to accountability faces its own manifold pressures. While she remains firm in her belief that the criminals must be punished, she encounters a barrage of influences aimed at swaying her perspective. The families connected to the goons, as well as the broader social circle surrounding the case, present offers and provocations in an attempt to derail the pursuit of justice. Jhinuk’s steadfastness—her honesty, her sense of duty, and her refusal to bend—becomes a crucible that tests not only the legal process but her own sense of integrity. The courtroom becomes a stage where she endures insults and demanding questions that probe her motives and resilience, all while maintaining a clear-eyed view of whom the case truly affects and what it means to stand up for a victim.

In the end, the outcomes are not the triumphs either woman hoped for. The criminals are released, and Romita and Jhinuk—two women guided by different instincts and lives—are left to reckon with a system that has not delivered the justice they sought. Yet the experience leaves them stronger and more determined to move forward in their own ways. Romita writes letters to her sister about how her status and sense of self have shifted in the wake of the ordeal, while Jhinuk continues to confront the complexities of law, society, and personal risk, even as the victim’s family turns away. The narrative draws a stark, patient portrait of a society that tests its women through judgment, pressure, and slow-changing norms, ultimately portraying growth, resilience, and the hard-won resolve to face an uncertain future on their own terms.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:11