Lajja () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film produced and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Based on the plight of women and feminism in India, the film satirizes the honor with which women are placed in society and the restrictions imposed on them. The fact that the names of four women (Maithili, Janki, Ramdulaari, and Vaidehi) are all versions of Sita, the ideal Hindu woman's name, is a message in itself. It features Manisha Koirala in the lead role as Vaidehi, the mistreated woman, while an ensemble cast of Rekha, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Ajay Devgn, Jackie Shroff, Mahima Chaudhry, Johnny Lever, Suresh Oberoi, Sharman Joshi, Danny Dengzongpa, Razak Khan, Gulshan Grover and Aarti Chhabria appear in supporting roles.
Lajja failed commercially in India but was a major commercial success in the overseas. It received mixed reviews, but the performances from the lead actors were highly praised.
At the 47th Filmfare Awards, Lajja was nominated for 3 awards – Best Supporting Actor (Devgn) and Best Supporting Actress (for both Rekha and Dixit). At the 2002 Zee Cine Awards, it won Best Supporting Actress (Dixit).
Plot
Vaidehi (Manisha Koirala) is married to the rich Raghu (Jackie Shroff) Outside, she has a sophisticated life but inside, Raghu is abusive and has extramarital affairs. Later, she is banished from the household. She returns to her parents' house, but they reject her as her running away from Raghu taints their family's reputation. She soon finds out she is pregnant.
Raghu gets into a car accident and is left impotent. Upon knowing Vaidehi's pregnancy, he calls her, faking remorse, and asks for her to return. She agrees, thinking Raghu has mended his ways. In reality, he and his father plot for the baby to become their heir and if Vaidehi intervenes, she will be killed. A friend informs Vaidehi of Raghu's true intentions and she escapes from his henchmen.
Raju (Anil Kapoor) a petty but kind-hearted thief helps Vaidehi, hears her story and gives her money so that she can go to Haripur. They gatecrash a wedding, Vaidehi meets the bride Maithili (Mahima Chaudhary ), a middle-class girl marrying a rich groom. The two see the groom's father Mr. Hazarilal harassing Maithili's father with demands for an opulent wedding which is unaffordable and forcing him to pay dowry, with his reputation in society being ruined if he fails. Vaidehi tries to convince Raju to give Maithili's father his money from the heist. He refuses and is soon forced to escape as somebody has recognized him as a gatecrasher. Changing his mind, he returns to give his heist money to Vaidehi.
The groom's friend Gulshan attempts to rape Maithili but is stopped by Raju. One of the guests Gulab Chand recognizes the heist money which Raju had stolen from him before gatecrashing the wedding. Moreover, Gulshan tells the groom's family that he spotted Raju in Maithili's room. She is accused of sexual relations with him in return for money, which leads Raju to publicly acknowledge his theft. Maithili insults the groom's family, and they flee from the wedding. Raghu finds and forces Vaidehi into returning home. On the way, they encounter a protest mob. Raghu gets out to investigate thus giving Vaidehi a chance to escape.
Vaidehi arrives in a small town, Haripur and meets Janki, a theatre actress in love with her colleague, Manish. She is pregnant but not married, and doesn't care for society's norms. The older theatre director Purushottam took in Janki when she was young and lusts after her while keeping his younger wife, Lata, confined to their house. He badmouths Janki to Manish, creating a rift. Manish asks her to abort the child as he suspects it isn't his, indirectly accusing Janki of sexual relations with Purushottam. Outraged, Janki intentionally botches a scene during a performance of the Ramayan. The angered audience assaults her, causing her to miscarry. Vaidehi confronts Purshottam, who threatens to call Raghu. However, Lata intervenes and puts her on a train at the railway station.