PHOTO ESSAY: The Women of Lajja

OVER-THE-TOP AND THEN SOME MORE...

Raj Kumar Santoshi's magnum opus from 2001—Lajja—hasn't ever been a critics' favorite, with its undeniably well-meaning roster of ideas obscured by the garish masala elements that Santoshi's cinema has long been associated with. Still, it remains one of the Indian cinema's few attempts at using a mainstream idiom to give voice to women's issues in an all-expansive pan-Indian manner, that some may have considered overwrought at the time of its release. As it pans out, Lajja now occupies its own niche as a cult classic—a slice of 'found art' entertainment where women took centrestage in several irrepressible ways, even if it required a man in superhero mode (Ajay Devgn) to save the day in the end. The cast of women were spear-headed by Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Mahima Chaudhury and a luminous Manisha Koirala. In this special Film Impressions slide-show, we pay tribute to the ensemble of female actors who tried their best to make Lajja an enduring human document, but failed gallantly.

Thespians Manisha Koirala and Rekha in a pivotal scene in the film

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These images are screengrabs from the official release DVD. No copyright infringement intended.