Parched 2016

In the arid landscape of rural Gujarat, India, a quartet of resilient women navigate the suffocating grip of societal norms and traditions that perpetuate oppression. The lives of Rani, a widow struggling to make ends meet, Lajjo, trapped in an abusive marriage with an inebriated husband, Manoj, Bijli, a sensual dancer whose traveling troupe brings fleeting joy, and Janki, a young girl forced into a child marriage by her own family, are intertwined as they face the harsh realities of their village.

Rani’s world is turned upside down when she marries off her teenage son, Gulab, to a child bride named Janki, whom she hopes will bring solace to her aging mother-in-law. Meanwhile, Gulab indulges in reckless behavior, preferring the company of sex workers and his gang of friends over responsible adulthood. Lajjo, Rani’s confidant and ally, endures physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Manoj, who belittles her for her inability to conceive.

As Rani and Lajjo venture into a neighboring village to visit Janki, they’re met with the unwavering gaze of Bijli, whose exotic dance troupe provides fleeting escapes from the drudgery of their daily lives. The stage is set for a complex tapestry of relationships as phone calls from an anonymous admirer, initially mistaken for a wrong number, blossom into flirtatious exchanges.

The fabric of village life is further frayed when the local Gram Panchayat convenes to address pressing issues. The first matter at hand is the case of Champa, a young woman who fled her husband’s abuse and seeks refuge with her parents. Despite her courageous revelation that her male in-laws perpetuate gang rape, the Panchayat forces her to return, dismissing her pleas for safety.

Kishan, an entrepreneurial force for good, challenges the status quo by employing local women in craft and handloom jobs, earning their gratitude as he secures a lucrative contract. The village’s women reveal their newfound prosperity at the Panchayat, where they’re eager to save for the installation of televisions. However, this progress incites resentment among some men, including Gulab, who resent Kishan’s efforts to liberate the women from their shackles.

In this scorching desert landscape, four women – Rani, Lajjo, Janki, and Bijli – must find ways to survive the patriarchal society that seeks to silence them. As the story unfolds, each woman’s struggles converge, illuminating the dark underbelly of a world where tradition and oppression reign supreme.

In this troubled village, a toxic atmosphere permeates every interaction between men and women. Gulab, a patriarchal figure with anger issues, rules his household with an iron fist, taking out his frustrations on his wife Janki through physical abuse. His treatment of her is a stark reminder of the systemic oppression that Bijli, a sex worker, faces at the hands of her boss. The threat to replace her with a younger girl, Rekha (Tanya Sachdeva), only adds fuel to the fire as Bijli struggles to maintain some semblance of autonomy.

As tensions escalate, Gulab and his cohorts take out their aggression on Kishan, destroying his handicraft goods and brutalizing him. This senseless violence prompts Kishan’s family to flee the village in search of a better life. Meanwhile, Bijli’s own desperation grows as she faces the possibility of being replaced by Rekha, leading her to visit a local fort with Rani and Lajjo.

It is here that Lajjo gains a profound insight into her husband Manoj’s infidelity, realizing that he may be the one responsible for their infertility. In a bold experiment, she seeks solace in Bijli’s lover, resulting in pregnancy. However, this newfound hope is short-lived as Bijli returns to find her dancing spot usurped by Rekha. Desperate for a means of support, she resorts to performing traumatic sex acts, further compromising her dignity.

Rani, meanwhile, discovers that Gulab has pilfered her last bit of savings and confronts him, only to be met with violence as he attacks Janki. Fueled by righteous anger, Rani sells her house and pays off her debts, freeing herself from the shackles of debt. She then liberates Janki from her unhappy marriage, allowing her to reunite with her childhood sweetheart and pursue higher education.

Lajjo’s revelation about Manoj’s infidelity sparks a violent outburst as he beats her, revealing his awareness of his own infertility. His subsequent accidental fall onto a fire leaves him severely burned, while Lajjo watches in horror. As the women face yet another tragedy, Rani, Lajjo, and Bijli decide that they have had enough of the patriarchy’s oppression. Together, they set out to escape their miserable lives in search of a brighter future, free from the shackles of tradition and societal expectations.