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184.144.102.53: /* Cast */

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Cast

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{{short description|2001 film by Rajkumar Santoshi}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}

{{Infobox film
| name = Lajja
| image = Lajja_poster.jpg
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Rajkumar Santoshi]]
| producer = Rajkumar Santoshi
| writer = Ranjit Kapoor Rajkumar Santoshi (Dialogues)
| story = Rajkumar Santoshi [[Ram (director)|Ram]] (uncredited)
| screenplay = Ashok Rawat, Rajkumar Santoshi
| starring = [[Manisha Koirala]] [[Madhuri Dixit]] [[Jackie Shroff]] [[Anil Kapoor]] [[Aarti Chabria]] [[Mahima Chaudhry]] [[Rekha]] [[Sharman Joshi]] [[Ajay Devgn]]
| music = '''Songs:''' [[Anu Malik]] (6 songs) [[Ilaiyaraaja]] (1 song) '''Background score:''' [[Ilaiyaraaja]]
| cinematography = [[Madhu Ambat]]
| editing = V. N. Mayekar
| studio = Santoshi Productions
| distributor = [[Eros International]] (Worldwide)
| narrator = [[Bharat Shah]]
| released = {{start date|df=yes|2001|08|31}}
| runtime = 202 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INRConvert|22|c}}<ref name=ibos>{{cite web |url=http://ibosnetwork.com/asp/filmbodetails.asp?id=Lajja |title=Lajja – Starcast |publisher=IBoS Network }}</ref>
| gross = {{INRConvert|28|c}}<ref name=ibos/>
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}

'''''Lajja''''' ({{Translation|Shame}}) is a [[Bollywood films of 2001|2001]] Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[crime film|crime]] [[drama film]] produced and directed by [[Rajkumar Santoshi]]. Based on the plight of women and [[feminism]] in India, the film satirizes the honor with which women are placed in society and the restrictions on them. The fact that the four women's names (Maithili, Janki, Ramdulaari, and Vaidehi) are all versions of [[Sita]], the ideal Hindu woman's name, is a message in itself.

The film features [[Manisha Koirala]] in the lead role as Vaidehi, the mistreated woman, while an ensemble cast of [[Jackie Shroff]], [[Anil Kapoor]], [[Mahima Chaudhry]], [[Johnny Lever]], [[Madhuri Dixit]], [[Rekha]], [[Ajay Devgn]], [[Suresh Oberoi]], [[Sharman Joshi]], [[Danny Dengzongpa]], [[Razak Khan]], [[Gulshan Grover]] and [[Aarti Chhabria]] appear in supporting roles. The film failed commercially in India<ref>{{cite web |title=Box Office 2001 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=207&catName=MjAwMQ== |publisher=Boxofficeindia.com |access-date=1 July 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023171325/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=207&catName=MjAwMQ%3D%3D |archive-date=23 October 2013 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> but was a major commercial success in the overseas.<ref name="rediff1">{{cite web |title=Lajja's a hit overseas |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/sep/08raj.htm |publisher=[[Rediff]] |access-date=1 July 2011 |author=Arthur J Pais |date=8 September 2001}}</ref>

At the [[47th Filmfare Awards]], the film was nominated for 3 awards, including [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Devgn, and [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for Rekha and Dixit. The latter also received a nomination for the [[Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female]] and eventually won it.

== Plot ==
Vaidehi is married to the wealthy Raghu. On the outside, she lives a sophisticated life, but behind closed doors, her husband is [[domestic violence|abusive]] and has [[infidelity|extramarital affairs]]. When Vaidehi takes a stand for herself, she is banished from the household. She returns to her parents' house, but they too reject her since their daughter running away from her husband taints their family's reputation. Vaidehi soon finds out that she is pregnant.

Raghu gets into a car accident, leaving him impotent. When he discovers that Vaidehi is pregnant, he calls her, faking remorse, and asks for her to return. Vaidehi agrees, thinking Raghu has mended his ways. In reality, Raghu and his father are plotting for the child to become their heir, and if Vaidehi intervenes, she will be killed. A friend informs Vaidehi of Raghu's true intentions and she escapes from his henchmen. She is helped by Raju, a petty but kindhearted thief. He hears Vaidehi's story and gives her money from a recent heist to help. To hide from Raghu and his henchmen, Vaidehi and Raju gatecrash a wedding procession.

At the wedding, Vaidehi meets Maithili, the bride-to-be, who is from a middle-class family and marrying a man hailing from a rich background. The two women witness the groom's father harassing Maithili's father with demands for an opulent wedding which he cannot afford and forcing him to pay [[dowry]], with his reputation in society being ruined if he fails. Vaidehi tries to convince Raju to give Maithili's father his money from the heist. He initially refuses and is soon forced to escape from the wedding because somebody has recognized him as a gatecrasher. However, changing his mind, he soon returns to give his heist money to Vaidehi. The groom's friend attempts to rape Maithili but is stopped. As the wedding ceremony progresses, one of the guests recognizes the heist money which Raju had stolen from him. Moreover, the groom's friend tells the groom's family that he spotted a man (Raju) in Maithili's room. Maithili is accused of having sexual relations with Raju in return for money, which leads Raju to publicly acknowledge his theft. Having tolerated enough, Maithili insults the groom's family, and they flee from the wedding.

Meanwhile, Raghu finds Vaidehi and forces her into going home with him. On the way, they encounter a protest mob. Raghu gets out of the car to investigate, giving Vaidehi the chance to escape. She arrives in the small town of Haripur, where she meets Janki, a theatre actress in love with her colleague. Janki is pregnant, but not married, and does not care for society's norms. The theatre director, Puroshottam, an older man, lusts after Janki, but keeps his wife, Lata, confined to their house. Puroshottam badmouths Janki to her lover, creating a rift between them. Janki's lover asks her to abort the child, as he suspects that he might not be the real father, indirectly accusing Janki of having sexual relations with Purshottam. Janki is outraged and intentionally botches a scene during a performance of the ''[[Ramayan]]''. The angered audience assaults Janki, causing her to suffer a miscarriage. Vaidehi confronts Purshottam, who threatens to call her husband. However, Lata intervenes and puts her on a train at the train station.

Vaidehi's train is robbed by bandits but the passengers are saved by Bhulwa, a local [[dacoit]]. Vaidehi faints at the sight of blood, and Bhulwa takes her to the local midwife, Ramdulari. Ramdulari bravely opposes the village leaders Virendra and Gajendra who exploit innocent women, young and old. When Ramdulaari's educated son Prakash, who is trying to educate the villagers about what Virendra and Gajendra are doing, falls in love with Gajendra's daughter Sushma, tensions escalate. Gajendra locks Ramdulaari in her house and sets out to find Prakash. He also locks away Vaidehi in his home to be rewarded by Raghu by returning her to him. When Prakash runs away with Sushma, Virendra, and Gajendra, along with their goons, rape Ramdulaari and burn her alive. In a fit of rage, Bhulwa and his army kill Virendra and his goons. Vaidehi escapes with Sushma and Prakash.

Gajendra is attempting to enter politics, so when he is applauded by the local authorities, Vaidehi intervenes and exposes Gajendra as a rapist and fraud. She delivers a heart-wrenching speech how women are only treated as burdens to be married off by their families or ways to get dowry and male heirs by their in-laws. This drives all the women in the audience to assault Gajendra, who is later killed by Bhulwa. The speech changes Raghu's attitude towards Vaidehi and he becomes a better person. The two return to New York City as a proper married couple.

Vaidehi gives birth to a daughter, who is named Ramdulari. She reunites Raju, who is now a taxi driver and married to Maithili. Vaidehi invites him to a charity dance show with Janki in the main role, wherein all the money from her shows goes to fund women's organizations in India.

==Cast==
*[[Rekha]] as Ramdulari
*[[Madhuri Dixit]] as Janki
*[[Anil Kapoor]] as Raju
*[[Manisha Koirala]] as Vaidehi
*[[Ajay Devgn]] as Bhulwa
*[[Mahima Chaudhry]] as Maithili
*[[Jackie Shroff]] as Raghuveer, aka Raghu
*[[Danny Denzongpa]] as Gajendra
*[[Gulshan Grover]] as Virender
*Nasirr Khan as Gullu
*[[Aarti Chhabria]] as Sushma, Gajendra's daughter
*[[Sharman Joshi]] as Prakash, Ramdulaari's son
*[[Beena Banerjee]] as Vaidehi's mother
*[[Suresh Oberoi]] as Raghuveer's father
*[[Johnny Lever]] as Fakhruddin, Raghuveer's stooge
*[[Razak Khan]] as Francis, Raghuveer's stooge
*[[Anjan Srivastav]] as Nekchand, Maithili's father
*[[Farida Jalal]] as Saroj, Maithili's mother
*[[Tinu Anand]] as Purshottam
*[[Jaya Bhattacharya]] as Lata
*[[Asrani]] as Gulab Chand
*[[Dina Pathak]] as Maithili's paternal aunt
*[[Govind Namdeo]] as Hazarilal
*[[Jagdeep]] as Bansidhar Chakkiwala (cameo)
*[[Ritu Shivpuri]] as Anita
*[[Rohini Hattangadi]] as Mrs. Hazarilal
*[[Viju Khote]] as Damodar, Brother-in-law of Hazarilal
*[[Ghanashyam Nayak]] as Tiku, Prompter at Purshottam Drama Company
*Suhas Bhalekar as member of Purshottam Drama Company
*[[Samir Soni]] as Manish
*[[Anupam Shyam]] as Pimp of Prostitute Girls
*[[Subrat Dutta]]
*[[Sonali Bendre]] as [[item number|Special Appearance]] in song "Saajan Ke Ghar Jaana Hai"
*[[Urmila Matondkar]] as [[item number|Special Appearance]] in song "Aaye Aajaye"

==Music==
The songs were mainly composed by [[Anu Malik]]. [[A. R. Rahman]] was initially signed in as the composer; but then he opted out; after he got extremely busy with his international assignment, ''[[Bombay Dreams]]''.<ref>http://gopalhome.tripod.com/arrbio.html</ref> Then, the background score for the movie was done by [[Illayaraja]]. Lyrics of all songs were also written by [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]], except those of "Kaun Dagar Kaun Shehar", which were written by [[Prasoon Joshi]]. This song was also composed by Illayaraja and was sung by [[Lata Mangeshkar]]. According to the Indian trade website [[Box Office India]], with around 13,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's fifteenth highest-selling.<ref>{{cite web |title=Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units) |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215081557/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5&PHPSESSID=108b9056cd4ca14236f9c6119d34dcce |archive-date=15 February 2008 |publisher=[[Box Office India]]}}</ref>
{{Track listing
| headline = Songs
| extra_column = Singer
| title1 = Aaye Aajaye Aa Hi Jaiye
| lyrics1 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| music1 = [[Anu Malik]]
| extra1 = [[Anuradha Sriram]]

| title2 = Badi Mushkil
| lyrics2 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| music2 = [[Anu Malik]]
| extra2 = [[Alka Yagnik]]

| title3 = Jiyo Jiyo
| lyrics3 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| music3 = [[Anu Malik]]
| extra3 = [[KK (singer)|K.K.]]

| title4 = Kaliyug Ki Sita
| lyrics4 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| music4 = [[Anu Malik]]
| extra4 = [[Anuradha Paudwal]]

| title5 = Kaliyug Ki Sita
| note5 = II
| lyrics5 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| music5 = [[Anu Malik]]
| extra5 = [[Shubha Mudgal]]

| title6 = Kaun Dagar Kaun Shehar
| lyrics6 = [[Prasoon Joshi]]
| music6 = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]
| extra6 = [[Lata Mangeshkar]]

| title7 = Saajan Ke Ghar Jana Hai
| lyrics7 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| music7 = [[Anu Malik]]
| extra7 = [[Alka Yagnik]], [[Sonu Nigam]], [[Richa Sharma (singer)|Richa Sharma]]
}}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan = "4"|2002
| rowspan = "3"|[[Filmfare Awards]]
| [[Ajay Devgn]]
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Rekha]]
| rowspan="2"|[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Madhuri Dixit]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Awards]]
| [[Madhuri Dixit]]
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female|Best Supporting Actress]]
| {{won}}
|-
|}

==Reviews==
The film received mixed reviews however the performances from the lead actors were highly praised.<ref>{{cite web |title=Film Review – Lajja |url=http://www.planetbollywood.com/Film/Lajja/ |publisher=Planet Bollywood |access-date=1 July 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616182128/http://www.planetbollywood.com/Film/Lajja/ |archive-date=16 June 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Bariana, Sanjeev Singh |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010902/cth2.htm#5 |title=Rekha, Madhuri, Manisha all the way |date=2 September 2001 |access-date=12 December 2011 |newspaper=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]}}</ref>

[[Bollywood Hungama]] gave a rating of two and half out of five stars and said "On the whole, Lajja is a purposeful film within commercial parameters and the best part is that the Indian masses will be able to identify with the goings-on. An enviable star cast, a talented director and an excellent second half are amongst its strong points."<ref>{{cite web |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |title=Lajja: Movie Review |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/6794/index.html |publisher=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |access-date=1 July 2011 |date=29 August 2001}}</ref> ''[[The Hindu]]'' stated "Unfortunately, this colourful film is a black-and-white disappointment, particularly in the second half when Santoshi loses track of his story and in a blatant bid to get the tax-free certificate brings in bits about computer education, female literacy and infanticide.".<ref>{{cite web |title=Film Review: Lajja |url=http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2001/09/07/stories/09070223.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=1 July 2011 |date=7 September 2001}}</ref> The [[BBC]] gave a positive review saying "The film is well directed, excellent songs, although they should have had more realistic fights."<ref>{{cite web |last=Virdee |first=Jay |title=Lajja reviewed |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/entertainment/movies/2001_09/14/lajja_review.shtml |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=1 July 2011 |date=30 August 2001}}</ref>
ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sify.com/movies/lajja-review-bollywood-pclukHibejcfj.html|title=Lajja|website=Sify}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/aug/31lajja.htm|title=rediff.com, Movies: The Lajja review|website=www.rediff.com}}</ref>

==Box office==
''Lajja'' failed commercially at the box office in India due to high budget and distribution price. However it tasted success overseas. It ranked 14th on the British box-office chart, according to the International Movie Database.<ref name="rediff1"/>

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0293342|Lajja}}

{{Rajkumar Santoshi}}

[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:2001 crime drama films]]
[[Category:Films about women in India]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rajkumar Santoshi]]
[[Category:2000s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Anu Malik]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja]]
[[Category:Indian crime drama films]]
[[Category:Films about social issues in India]]
[[Category:Films featuring an item number]]
[[Category:Films about domestic violence]]
[[Category:Indian films]]

Lajja (film) - Revision history

UpdateBot at 20:47, 25 June 2022

2409:4063:4E90:3F32:0:0:2509:D20C at 13:27, 18 August 2021

184.144.102.53: /* Cast */