Rudaali

On his deathbed, Thakur Ramavtar Singh laments that none of his relatives will shed tears for him. He secretly desires Bhikni, a famous rudaali, to mourn him after his death. He calls for Bhikni to come to the village to perform the mourning ritual.

Bhikni travels to the Thakur's village and stays with the widow Shanichari. The two women form an unexpected bond as Shanichari begins sharing her life story. Her memories unfold through flashbacks during their growing friendship.

Shanichari was born on a Shanichar, a Saturday named after Shani, and villagers consider her inauspicious. Her father's death and her mother Peewli's departure to join a theatre troupe are attributed to her by the villagers. These beliefs shape her early life.

While still young, Shanichari is married off to Ganju, a drunkard. Her life with him is marked by hardship and neglect.

Shanichari has a son, Budhua, whom she loves very much and who roams around. Budhua's restless nature foreshadows the later disruptions in Shanichari's life.

Lakshman Singh tells Shanichari he likes her and hires her as a maid to his wife. She moves into Lakshman's haveli as part of the household.

One night after Shanichari sings at the haveli, Lakshman gifts her a house and two acres of land. The gift marks a shift in her status and independence within the village.

Ganju dies from cholera at a village fair. Shanichari grieves the loss while navigating social expectations and rituals.

Curses from the village pundit threaten her for not observing prescribed customs. To perform the required rituals, she borrows 50 rupees from Ramavatar Singh and becomes a bonded labourer.

Years later, Budhua returns with Mungri, a prostitute, whom he has married. Shanichari faces the tension between two generations of women in her household.

Shanichari tries to eject Mungri, but relents when she learns Mungri is pregnant. Snide remarks from the village pundit and shop-owners fuel conflict, and Mungri aborts the child while Budhua leaves home.

One night, Bhikni is summoned to a neighboring village by Bhishamdata. Ramavatar Singh dies a few hours after the summons.

A messenger arrives with news that Bhikni has died of plague and reveals that Bhikni is actually Shanichari's mother, Peewli. Shanichari processes the revelation and begins to grasp her mother's hidden role in her life.

Overwhelmed, Shanichari weeps and takes over as the village's new rudaali, mourning at the Thakur's funeral. With Bhikni gone, she fulfills the duty she was destined to perform.