indian cinema heritage foundation

Kunwari (1966)

  • LanguageHindi
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Retired Indian Colonel Dubey Satyed in London with his daughters Chhaya and Chandani. Both the girls were educated and brought up in England in the English way of life and culture. Chhaya Chandani and their father had to return to India to look after their big landed property personally.
Prakash, an M.A. was kept by Dubey as a tutor of Indian culture, Indian History and Indian traditions of life to the two girls. Prakash and Chhaya fell in love, they felt that they knew each other since their previous birth. Chandani the younger sister was happy to learn about this love affair, but colonel Dubey was infuriated to learn about this affair. Finally Prakash was insulted and turned out of the house.
Dejected Prakash went back to village to his window mother and elder brother. Colonel Dubey arranged for the betrothal of Chhaya with somebody. Chhaya did not wish to let her life ruined, left the house and ran away to Prakash.
In the village Chhaya and Prakash got married. As the fate would have it Prakash died of Snake bite on the wedding night. At the time of his death Prakash told Chhaya he was leaving her for ever not as a widow but as "KUNWARI" (virgin).
Widowed Chhaya lived in the poor village house as an ideal Indian woman. She started working for village upliftment, but the villagers conservatives as they were, teased her by calling Vilayti mem sahib. All her efforts failed ultimately she was declared a woman of bad character and was chased out of the village.
Disappointed but not frustrated, Chhaya went to Kashi and started serving in a Vanita-Ashram as a Sarvodaya worker. She joined college to continue her further studies. In college Chhaya met Timir, who gradually finds himself falling in love with Chhaya, but Timirs mother wanted Timir to marry Chandani. When Chhaya learns abot this she runs away to her village leaving Timir and Chandani alone to get married. How Chhaya remained "KUNWARI" throughout her life see on the Silver Screen.