Vadilona Vanke (1948)

Melodrama about social modernisation featuring the retired diwan of Kathiawar and his two daughters who have both separated from their husbands. The elder sister, illiterate and a traditionalist, is married to the sophisticated political prisoner Pushkar. The younger sister is married to the aimlessly ‘modern’ Kirtikumar. The drama of conflicting rights and ambitions is played out by an unusually large number of characters including Pushkar’s widowed mother, her younger son, other members of the joint family, a criminal, and the accountants employed by Kirtikumar and the diwan. The film ends with Pushkar’s death, leading to the cessation of hostilities. The film is based on a successful play by the Desh Nataka Samaj.