Brij Gopal

Three women in a Bihar village are sentenced to death by their menfolk. Their crime is that they dared to protest. Ketki (Madhuri Dixit), an educated young girl with dreams in her eyes, gets married into a family of upper class landlords, whose fortunes have been consumed by lethargy and extravagance. Her husband Vinay Singh (Ayub Khan) has no agricultural land left, does not have the capital to start a business, and fails to secure a job due to the governments policy of reservation for the backward castes. Ketki makes sacrifices to support him in his entrepreneurial endeavours. But fails to restrain him when, in desperation to get rich quick, he aligns with the wrong people. Contractor and power broker Tirpat (Mohan Joshi) and local politician Pandey (Harish Patel) make use of Vinay's innocence for their own profit. Vinay's degeneration is complete when he thrashes Ketki for objection to his misdeeds. Her upbringing, self-respect and righteousness make it difficult for her to bear this humiliation. She suffers. Chandravati (Shabana Azmi) is the wife of Vinay's elder brother Abhay Singh (Mohan Agashe). Greedy for the wealth and political clout of the local temple, Abhay Singh masterminds the murder of the temple head and gets himself ordained as his successor. This entails renouncing the world and deserting his wife, which he cruelly does, citing her childlessness. The truth is that Chandravati has shielded her husband's impotence for seventeen years and now suddenly finds herself in the ignominious position of an abandoned woman. The solace offered by a lower caste well wisher of the family Rambaran (Om Puri) causes unexpected problems for her. She suffers. Kanti (Shilpa Shirodkar), a low-caste labourer is exploited by the contractor to whom her husband owed money Burdened with looking after an ailing mother, while her husband is away to earn money to repay the debt, she lives in the hope that he will return, She suffers. Suffering comes naturally to women here. Regardless of caste and class, their role in the family and society is predetermined and they must never cross these limits. Several social, moral and mythological images have been created to indoctrinate women with the virtue of sacrifice and submissiveness. They must conform to these role models. However, circumstances force the women in Mrityudand to break these rules and make their own. This cannot be tolerated as the Society finds its maleness threatened, and the men, putting aside their own bloodthirsty conflicts, unite to teach the women a lesson. The three women are branded evil and sentenced to death. But when the men come to carry out the Death Sentence, there is a silent but massive rebellion which they are not prepared for.

Lalita (Madhuri Dixit) catches the eye of J.B. (Raj Babbar) and he immediately falls in love with her and decides he must marry her. He bribes Lalita's uncle Madanlal (Tej Sapru) into convincing Lalita to marry him. However, Lalita refuses and J.B. kidnaps her and forces her to marry him. One fateful night, Lalita manages to escape and she meets Raj (Rishi Kapoor) whose family consists of an olderly grandfather (Kader Khan) who dotes on him and wants him to get married at any cost. Raj and Lalita fall in love with each other and his grandfather also approves of Lalita. Raj and Lalita are about to get married. However, J.B. grows wise of Lalita's whereabouts and in no time he tracks her down. J.B. reveals to Raj and his grandfather about Lalita's true identity which was just one side of a coin. J.B. forcibly takes Lalita with him and Lalita agrees to stay with him forever to save her chastity and honour. But will she be able to live with an overpowering and cruel man like J.B.? Will Raj ever be able to find out the truth about Lalita's past? Lalita (Madhuri Dixit) is married under duress from her maternal uncle, Madhi (Tej Sapru) to a cruel and possessive man, JB (Raj Babbar). He loves Lalita, but keeps her like a bird in a cage, hovering over and dominating her. Lalita runs away and enters the lives of Raj (Rishi Kapoor), his grandfather (Kader Khan), and Kaki (Dina Pathak). In order to hide her identity, she calls herself Shikha. Eventually, the family grow fond of Shikha, and Raj and she also fall in love. Raj's grandfather plans to marry Shikha off to Raj, when JB shows up and tells the family about the real identity of Shikha, and of her marital status, which Madhi quickly collaborates. The family is shocked to find out that Shikha has been lying to them. JB takes Lalita with him, and Lalita agrees to be his dutiful wife for ever. But will Raj forget his Shikha? And did Lalita really mean when she said she would be a dutiful wife to JB? —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

An honest army cadet discovers evidence of police corruption, leading to a dangerous confrontation between military and law enforcement when he attempts to expose a corrupt superintendent. Vijay (Ayub Khan) is an honest young army cadet who finds himself battling the corrupt police department after he comes across evidence that could put Superintendent Gautam (Goga Kapoor) behind bars. And he also put himself in a situation which is all set for a conflict between the police and the army.

Vijay follows Anju to Bombay from Shimla, where he gets the news from her father that she died three years ago. Born on the 17th of September in Uttar Pradesh, Vijay Rai leads a wealthy lifestyle along with his dad, Ajay Kumar, who are now settled in scenic Simla. Since Vijay is 25 years old, his dad wants him to get married, but Vijay wants to find his own soul mate. He does find her in Bombay-based Anju, both meet and fall in love with each other. When Anju is informed that her dad is ill, she returns home, and leaves a note for Vijay to contact her there. Upon receiving her note, Vijay departs for Bombay and reaches Anju's residence. He is received by her dad, Dinanath, who informs him that Anju has been dead for over 3 years now. A disbelieving Vijay, assisted by CBI Inspector Jayant Mathur, decides to trace Anju. He and Jayant do find her, but she claims that she has never met Vijay and identifies herself as Mona, a Goa-based dancer/singer. Vijay must now accept Anju's death and move on little knowing that if he persists he will soon be declared insane as none of the people he has come across thus far are who they claim to be. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com) Vijay is the son of Shimla's rich businessman Rai Sahab he wants him to get married soon but he hasn't taken it seriously until he meets Anju and they both fall in love.Anju travels to Bombay to meet her father leaving a note. Vijay to follows her but when he reaches her place he is shocked to hear from her father that Anju died three years back,Anju comes back in Vijay's life saying her father had lied to him they soon meet up and have a good time together after leaving Anju home Vijay tries to speak to her father but he again tells her that she died three years back.Vijay hears Anju's voice and finds his coat hanging on a tree which he gave to Anju when they met in the day,Vijay takes the help of inspector Jayant to solve the mystery they find her but she denies being Anju and tells that she is Mona a dancer from Goa and has never met Vijay. A wealthy Vijay meets Anju is Simla and both fall in love.Anju suddenly flies to Mumbai to be with her ailing father leaving a letter to Vijay along with her address.Vijay reaches Mumbai and meets Anju'father and is shocked to know from him that Anju passed away three years back A distressed Vijay can't believe it and sees Anju on many occasions who disappears like wind.Ispector Jay Mahtur decides to help him but all evidences show that Anju has indeed passed away three years back.One fine day Vijay gets call from Anju saying she is alive and her father lied to him as he hates wealthy people.Vijay and Anju decide to spend quality time with each other and after leaving Anju home he realizes that his car key is missing and Anju has taken the key and his coat with her.Vijay goes to her house and meets her father who comforts him and tells that such incidents have also happened with other men in past who had met Anju.Vijay sees Anju"s ghostly figure in the house and follows her only to find that the his coat and the gown which Anju was wearing are hanging on a tree. Outside Anju"s house. —alex.mjacko@gmail.com