Rudaali

Shanichari is a woman unfairly blamed by villagers for every misfortune. Born on a Shanichar day, she endures a brutal path from arranged marriage to Ganju, a drunkard, and later a debt-bondage under Ramavatar Singh. She loves her son Budhua and seeks dignity within a rigid society, gradually discovering that tears can wield power as she confronts her circumstances. As Bhikni's tale unfolds, she moves toward her own moment of release as the new rudaali.

Bhikni is the village's renowned rudaali, whose crying ritual is sought to honor the dead. She travels with the sorrow of many families and embodies the delicate balance between public mourning and private pain. The plague claim and her death reveal a poignant twist: Bhikni was Shanichari's mother, Peewli. Her passing catalyzes Shanichari's awakening as a mourner.

Budhua is Shanichari's restless son who drifts through the village. He brings Mungri home as his wife, triggering a frictive dynamic at home and within the community. After a fight and Mungri's abortion, he abandons the family, underscoring the fragility of familial ties under economic and social pressure.

Lakshman Singh is the Thakur's son who notices Shanichari and encourages her to challenge the village's customs. He offers a rare sign of support, gifting her a house and land and signaling a potential opening for female agency within the rigid power structure. His actions reveal the complexities of desire and benevolence in a hierarchical society.

Ramavtar Singh, the desert zamindar, embodies the social and economic power that governs Barna. His death sets off the final mourning ritual and exposes the fragility of status in a village where lineage and land determine worth. He relies on Bhikni's service, illustrating how ritual and authority intersect with personal fortunes.

Mungri is Budhua's wife, a pregnant woman who becomes part of the village's tense social fabric. Her pregnancy triggers jealousy and judgment from neighbours, and a forced abortion intensifies conflict with Shanichari. Her presence stirs the tension between two women and exposes the vulnerability of women who lack protection.

Ganju is Shanichari's husband who succumbs to cholera at a village fair, a catalyst for Shanichari's descent into debt and later bondage. His death amplifies the instability of Shanichari's already precarious life.