(indistinct chatter)
(Nanaji) Four! Good shot!
(laughs) Once more!
(Nanaji) Go for it.
(hawker selling wares)
Why aim at my elbow?
Hit me on the head instead.
And don't use the ball.
Smash my head with the bat.
Dare you cry!
I'll slap you so hard, you'll land straight in your dad's lap.
Why are you taking it out on Pinky?
She's just a kid.
Should I take it out on you then?
Or should I just slit my wrist and end it all?
(tense music builds)
I--
If there were no potatoes to chop,
women would've used the knife to kill people.
Kids get beaten up for nothing.
Because we're so mad all the time.
Society has turned us into burning coal.
Every woman is a raging flame.
Once out of the stove, she...
I am so angry.
(Kamlesh breathing heavily)
I feel like killing someone.
But...
the enemy is nameless.
Faceless.
How...
So how can I stab them to death?
How can I curse them?
How do I kill a mindset?
How do I destroy my family?
No.
How do I fight against my own?
Stop the drama.
Hey!
You wanted a fair fight.
Wanted to do it the right way, didn't you?
There is no right way.
No point fighting among yourselves.
Whom should I fight?
And how?
We had one chance.
Only one.
But we lost it because of you.
What should we have done?
Stabbed them in the back?
Played dirty?
No!
You think they will play fair?
Huh?
Who?
(theme music)
Vinay! Arun!
(Nanaji) Men once lived in caves.
They covered themselves with animal skin.
Your father-in-law lives in the city now.
Poetry, fancy words, philosophy.
He hides himself behind them.
But deep down
he's still a caveman.
Who treats women like property.
His property.
And he will do anything to get his property back.
Anything.
Where are you going?
To bring our daughters-in-law home.
(eerie music)
Go straight.
But that's not the way to Bithoor.
We're going somewhere else first.
Where?
To your in-laws'.
(car engine turns off)
Stay here.
I want to talk to Pooja's dad in private.
(eerie music)
(suspenseful music)
(gates creak open)
(tense music)
Have some water.
Gayatri, get him tea and snacks.
Of course.
Stop.
I'm not here to eat.
I'm here to talk.
Sure.
Just you and me.
(suspenseful music fades in)
Close the door behind you, son.
Okay.
(temple bell rings)
What happened?
What the hell!
What's wrong, brother?
Hey.
Why did you get out of the car?
I can't bear to sit with you.
Why? What did I do?
Pooja has tarnished our family's reputation.
The stain won't come off easily.
Not until she returns home willingly and happily,
not until she shows respect
and begs for our forgiveness.
That's the only way to fix it.
I...
I will talk to Pooja.
That won't do it.
(suspenseful music)
You'll have to do something else.
What do you want?
Want your daughter to get a divorce?
Or want her to reconcile with her husband?
I've married off my daughter.
I'm not going to take her back.
She'll only return to your house.
(Anil stutters)
I... I promise you.
I'll convince my daughter.
No matter what it takes.
That's what I expected of you.
Please sit.
Women build a home.
But...
(suspenseful music continues)
...men run the house.
(spoon clinks)
A woman is always expected to sacrifice.
But the man of the house...
(spoon clinks)
...is always ready to do the same.
(suspenseful music builds)
Dr. Gupta.
Do you have an empty bed in your hospital?
It is a private matter.
It is between me and my wife.
It's no one else's business.
Why is everyone barging into my bedroom?
It happens.
Every married couple has issues.
- You must have-- - I must have?
- No... - What did you say?
- Come on, say it. - I'm sorry.
- You must have-- - Not all men are like you.
Don't lecture me on what makes a man.
If you were man enough, we wouldn't be in this mess.
You couldn't control your wife--
She's my wife. Not a remote-controlled TV.
Who said this is the definition of a real man?
A real man doesn't intimidate his wife.
A pathetic man does.
A real man gets what he wants at any cost.
Oh, really?
Then not you, not me,
not Dad.
My wife, sitting in Bithoor, is the real man.
She is determined to punish you.
And she will.
You think I am wrong?
I'm a monster?
So why don't you punish me?
Stop lecturing and hit me.
At least, be a real man in front of your brother.
Come on, hit me!
- Don't hit me like a girl. - Arun!
Arun!
Dad has fainted.
(suspenseful music fades out)
(phone vibrates)
Hello.
(melancholy music)
(Nanaji) Take care.
Bless you.
Kamlesh.
You never let go of my hand as a kid.
You better not leave her side.
Okay?
(sombre music)
God bless.
Get going, dear.
(engine revs)
(sombre music fades out)
(siren wailing distantly)
(Vinay) Pooja, this way.
- (indistinct chatter) - (siren wailing)
I'll get that.
(monitor beeps)
Pooja.
(Anil sniffles)
Why did you do this, Dad?
Go back to your in-laws'.
(monitor beeps)
(Pooja sniffles)
(Arun) Pooja.
Look...
I know I'm a monster to you.
But in my eyes,
I'm just a husband.
Maybe I made a mistake.
But no one leaves home over one small mistake.
(tense music)
You left.
Kamlesh left.
Things got out of hand.
The police came for us.
I'm tired of all this.
(tense music continues)
See...
Father hurt himself because of us.
Pooja.
You once said it.
Now I'm saying it.
Let's start afresh.
(Pooja sniffles)
Please, Pooja.
- (monitor beeps) - (Arun panting)
(tense music builds)
Come back home.
I am sorry.
No, Arun. Don't be sorry.
Don't worry.
I'll add Pooja's name to the will.
(tense music intensifies)
And, Gayatri.
I've taken care of Tito's job.
Relax.
Gayatri.
Tito will finally have a job.
- (tense music continues) - (monitor beeps)
(female vocalising)
I don't want to go back.
Pooja dear.
Please.
(melancholy music)
(monitor beep echoes)
(car honks)
(Kamlesh) Everyone loves a bird.
But only when it's caged.
When the bird dares to fly,
the captor feels rattled.
So they clip her wings.
They crush her spirit.
They do whatever it takes
to stop her flight.
Just as they did to us.
(walking cane clicking)
(tense music builds)
♪ The song of life ♪
♪ Is back on the same rhythm ♪
♪ The bird has returned ♪
♪ To its familiar perch again ♪
- Amazing! - I know, right?
Awesome, Grandpa!
"Awesome, Grandpa"?
Here you go.
- Offer it to your father-in-law. - Sure.
- Father. - No, thanks.
Have some.
- Are you taking your medicines? - Yes.
Then just relax.
Men often make mistakes.
It's a woman's responsibility to change them with love and care.
Our daughters-in-law are back.
I'm going to have a religious recital tomorrow.
Kamlesh, here.
Some sweets.
Pooja.
(tense music)
Pooja?
Pooja.
Serve the guests.
(indistinct chatter)
Pooja and I have sorted out our differences.
Can't we too?
Scold me if you're upset.
Vent your anger on me but...
Forgive me.
- You can slap me if you want. - Careful.
One tight slap and you'll regret your words.
Kamlesh...
Kamlesh.
(Sukumar) Serve them, Pooja.
(indistinct chatter)
Pooja.
Come here.
Come, sit.
Please sit.
I...
I've found a 1BHK flat in Vikas Nagar.
We'll move in there.
Okay?
How will you live without your family?
I don't know, Kamlesh.
All I know is
you can't live with this family anymore.
(sombre music)
Pooja,
we'll start anew.
New beginnings.
New relationship.
New wedding vows.
New honeymoon.
(tense music fades in)
(guest laughing)
Kamlesh.
(tense music builds)
You have a voice.
But you don't use it.
Now...
you'll have to speak up.
"I'll punish my brother-in-law.
"I'll get justice.
"I'll start a revolution."
Huh?
You couldn't do shit.
Three days of playing the rebel
and you're back home.
Back to being a slave.
I've got such worthless daughters-in-law.
You know, right?
Dad took sleeping pills.
Forced me to come back.
Oh, really?
He should've talked some sense.
Why did he talk such bullshit?
And why did you take it?
Why did you listen to him?
Why did you come back home?
- For the sake of our family-- - Shut up.
Don't you get it?
"Family."
"Traditions."
"Love."
And God knows what else.
We've been slaving away like fools in the name of all this.
And...
we've been doing it happily.
For years and years.
For centuries.
Even now.
Just like you are.
What should we have done?
You should've fought.
We tried everything.
But nothing worked.
Can't file a complaint.
Can't go to court.
So do we wrestle them?
Grab a gun and turn into criminals?
Take a hammer and break their heads?
No.
(Kamlesh sobbing)
Kamlesh.
Don't break their heads.
Just break your silence.
Silence!
Whatever has happened
say it out loud in front of everyone.
(tense music intensifies)
If a woman
finds her voice,
no one will dare lay a finger on her.
Don't leave home.
Stay here and put up a fight.
Silence
is society's weapon.
And a woman's weapon
is her voice.
You won't be able to fight unarmed.
You won't be able to win either.
So wield your weapon.
Your voice.
(tense music swells and drops)
(Kamlesh sniffles)
Everything will be fine.
(chanting prayers)
(woman 1) Kamlesh, you've kept only Goddess's idols.
(woman 2) At least tell us
whose tale it is.
A tale of two goddesses.
You and me.
It's the tale of a woman's life.
Where's the priest?
I am the priest.
Do you even know how to recite a sacred text?
No.
The Vedas, the Shastras, The Bhagavad Purana.
Have you read any of them?
No.
How are you the priest then?
I know a few worship rituals.
And a few mantras.
I've watched the Ramayana on TV.
I have zero knowledge.
But I have endless devotion.
The scholars will tell you the real tale.
I'm just telling you how I see it.
Pardon my mistakes. Bear with me.
(conch blows)
Hello, hello.
Let's begin.
When the world was formed,
women were highly respected.
Life was great.
The scriptures said women should be worshipped.
Sage Gargi had philosophical debates.
Queen Kaikeyi fought battles.
No one catcalled them.
No one harassed them.
When Ravana touched Goddess Sita,
Lord Rama burnt his kingdom, Lanka.
When the Kuru princes disrobed Queen Draupadi,
she washed her hair with their blood.
(faint chatter)
Great warriors were known by their mothers' names.
Ganga's son Bhishma took the vow.
Kunti's son Arjun pierced the fish's eye.
Radha's son Karna fed the beggars.
God came down to Earth to play in His mother's lap.
What good times!
But somewhere down the line...
the system changed.
So true.
Earlier, every woman had a different story.
Goddess Sita's was different.
Queen Rukmini. Goddess Radha.
Princess Kunti. Everyone.
But suddenly, something happened.
And every woman had the same story.
Birth.
Producing children.
Death.
Nothing more to the tale.
First, the stories disappeared.
Then they lost their rights.
Not only house, property and money.
But food too.
Essentials.
Shoes.
Clothes.
Even their freedom.
They lost everything.
All a woman had was her body.
Then she lost that too.
(dramatic music)
Now...
A woman's body isn't even her own anymore.
It belongs to her husband.
That's enough about the world.
Now it's time for a personal story.
Hear us out.
Pooja.
Come.
Pooja.
(Arun) Pooja.
(suspenseful music builds)
Sit.
My name...
(suspenseful music)
My name is Pooja Kumar.
And I...
I am Bhramar-ji's...
I'm his younger son's wife.
Pooja.
My husband...
made physical relations with me
without my consent.
- (dramatic music) - (indistinct chatter)
My husband raped me.
(guests gasp)
(dramatic music intensifies)
(Pooja) My husband raped me.
Shut her up.
She's falsely accusing you.
And you're letting her?
- Be a man. - (Pooja speaking in background)
- (Pooja) He did it again and again-- - Shut up!
She's using such words in front of your kids.
And you all are sitting idle?
Shame on you!
Language builds character.
You're letting your kids hear all this.
What kind of people will they grow up to be?
(dramatic music continues)
Stop it!
Go home.
Get going.
- Let's go. - Come on.
- (Arun) Move it. - (man 1) Let's go home.
- (Arun) Please leave. - (man 2) Come on.
- (man 3) Let's go. - (Arun) Uncle.
- (Arun) Come on. - (Kamlesh) I dare you!
Only leave if you've never been touched against your will.
Leave if you've never felt unsafe on public transport.
Leave if a neighbour, brother, uncle, professor,
a random stranger or relative
didn't come on to you.
Swear by God that
you've ever had agency over your own body.
If so, you can leave.
Only if...
(dramatic music builds)
Let's go, Pooja.
- Come with-- - Arun.
- Come with me! - I haven't finished yet.
I've always treated you with respect.
I've never raised my hand on you.
That doesn't mean you cross your limits
and insult me in front of--
(guests gasp)
(dramatic music swells)
(smacks)
(dramatic music continues)
You turned my whole family against me.
Fought with me.
Misbehaved with me.
Did it all in public.
But what's the use?
It's not a crime in the eyes of the law.
Hmm?
That's for the educated people to know.
All I know is
I can't change the law.
But I can change my family.
And family is like a sweater.
I'd once knitted it.
Now I'll unravel it and knit it again.
Arun.
Think about it.
You must've done something wrong
for your family to have turned against you.
The mother who gave birth to you.
The grandma and the brother who protected you.
The sister-in-law who raised you.
Everyone can't be wrong.
I can't take you to court.
Can't rely on the village council either.
The court alone isn't meant to deliver justice.
But family can.
Your family will deliver justice this time.
A family always chooses their son
over their daughter-in-law.
But today, this family...
has done the opposite.
Men own property.
But women own relationships.
And we are disowning you.
When I die...
you won't have the right to perform my final rites.
When Pinky gets married...
you won't attend her wedding.
No.
Your mom.
Me.
Your grandma.
You'll only hear about us.
Not be a part of our lives.
Kamlesh, please...
Don't do this to me.
I won't be able to live like this.
And Pooja can't live like this!
Do you realise what you've done?
I...
(Vinay) We do realise.
- I'm not talking about you. - You should.
Men like me turn a blind eye to everything.
You should blame us too.
Dad.
You kept teaching Arun wrong things.
I stayed silent.
I stayed silent when he wronged her.
Even when she kept fighting.
I was just a silent spectator to it all.
Staying silent in the face of wrong is wrong too.
Isn't it?
The battle between right and wrong...
Why should only women fight it?
We'll fight with them.
Arun.
You followed Dad blindly.
But when you realise where it has got you...
you won't be able to face yourself.
So if you have an ounce of shame,
you should apologise.
Beg for forgiveness till your last breath.
Sorry, Kamlesh.
Not me, say sorry to Pooja.
Pooja.
- Pooja. - Beg for her forgiveness.
No need, Kamlesh.
One slap won't change him.
I know.
It's in his genes.
A slap can't change his nature.
Not when it runs in his blood.
But he'll say sorry.
So that everyone sees
what women are capable of.
What women can do when they stand united.
Pooja, please forgive me.
I didn't understand what being a husband means.
- Sorry-- - I can't forgive you.
The things you've done to me...
I'll wait for the day the law criminalises it.
And when it happens...
I'll drag you to court by the collar.
(dramatic music)
(tense music)
I was wrong, Dad.
It's time to fix it.
(tense music intensifies)
Enough said.
I'm done talking.
Now it's your turn to think.
(tense music swells)
♪ Not just a drop, She's the sacred river ♪
♪ Spreading her wings She soars the skies ♪
♪ For the first time The little bird flies ♪
(song continues playing)