Santoshi’s ‘Lajja’ presents a powerful visual of primal brutality, unforgettable in its intensity. The spirited laughter of Madhuri Dixit’s Janki and Rekha’s Ram Dulari underscores their gender-defined struggles. The women’s screams of humiliation and anguish are a visceral experience for the audience.
One must not disregard Santoshi’s film as overly crude or focused on a specific message. The lives that women lead in various parts of the country are often more harrowing. Santoshi’s talent for integrating humor within the theme of barbaric oppression deserves appreciation.
Some critics have not fully understood the balance of humor and pain in the Mahima Choudhary section, dismissing the anti-dowry narrative. Santoshi’s transformation of this element into high satire is a crucial point. Anil Kapoor’s jokes should be taken with a grain of salt, but the girl’s father’s suffering is not to be taken lightly.