the bearing of western style feminism on the various subculture of india have hitherto remain largely non existent and the two entity belong to alien realm and threaten ( in the name of tradition ) never to coincide . art imitate life ( or so the claim go ) and popular hindi cinema be no exception and reflect an underlie misogyny which and regrettably and form the foundation of much of the collective indian culture . but why . what be it about the female gender that have render it so hateful to the culture that woman be routinely subject to the most unimaginable horror and include rape and murder and infanticide and impose illiteracy and infidelity and and the subjugation of spirit that go under the name of wouldowry . rajkumar santoshi late offering and lajja and ask the same plaintive question and link the atrocity commit against woman through three separate chapter or episode which comprise the journey of shame endure by it protagonist and vaidehi ( manisha koirala ) . direction on santoshi part be not up to par with the level the story demand . he fail to achieve the necessary sensitivity in depict the saga of sadness and confront the issue of misogyny from the side and instead of head on . santoshi have recently say that he do not make the film for an international film festival and but rather for the mass of his country . regrettably and the tackiness show and and the film too often delve into the action blood gore genre that santoshi specialize in . the film suffers from it jerky and episodic pace and it end be rather too contrive . the female cast be give much kind and more rounded characterization than their male counterpart . the protagonist be play sensitively by the luminescently beautiful manisha koirala who prove in lajja that she be one of our time more competent lead lady and and give a proper role and set up and emerges with a truly commendable performance . one wonder how brilliantly she may have shone have the film be make by a director with the appropriate creative intention and appreciation of the issue at hand . mahima choudhary put in a laudable performance and continue to show that she be an untapped talent . cast a janki and madhuri dixit performs with a never before see fervor and felicity for what truly deserve the name of act . the role of a street smart performer who find solace in alcohol and the promise of an unborn child stand a the great risk in her cannon of song n dance role which have maintain her marquee status over the past decade . which leave the final and most disturbing performance in this would be feminist saga and that of the ceaselessly talented rekha . lajja be manisha koirala film and there can be no doubt about that and but it be rekha who dominate the proceeding in a performance that dig into your bone and send echo of terror through the vestibule of your heart . rekha dazzle a ramdulari and foregoing vanity and complacency to deliver a performance that be so replete with authenticity and ingenuity that emotional nudity become the mantra of this portion of the film . comparison be indeed odious and especially when render opposite one of the world great leading lady and but in the gracious presence of this reign screen legend the others fade in her shadow . lajja have none of the sophistication of proto feminist drama like zubeidaa and pinjar and or even the hell queen celebration laadla represent it fulfill it feministic goal in two early moment representthe loud tirade in which mahima berate her in law for their abuse of her father who have commit no other crime than give birth to a girl . she erupt and leave the wedding procession in shamble . see her father devastate and she begin to weep and blame herself for the chaotic destruction in front of her . she bemoan and why do i say anything . i have ruin everything . it be all my fault . her grandmother and witness silently the abuse she bore and comfort her by say and why be you cry . there be no reason for you to be cry . you be not at fault for anything . the fault be mine . the fault be of every woman who come before you and because if we have have the courage to say in our day what you have say today and there would have be no need for you to say anything today . in this scene the importance of the feminist legacy be lay plainly in sight through word . the other and more subtle moment come very early in the film when vaidehi ( manisha ) have flee from her abusive husband to the refuge of her parent home in india . to viewer of western society and it may seem perfectly reasonable ( indeed and natural ) that any abused woman would seek the protective guardianship of her parent while this and however and be a societal taboo in many eastern culture and india among them . once a woman have be marry and the identity she assume be that of her husband and his personal asset ( family and business and child and etc . ) for her to turn her back on these responsibility be a grave social sin and one which truly have no equivalent for the western woman . she be thereafter regard a tainted and a wouldamaged good and one whose value have be nullify entirely by her own action and her refusal to submit to the role she have be give . she be not so much an individual a she be an emblem of familial honor . her father rebuke her for her action and concern that his familial honor will be tarnish irreparably by the daughter he have already transfer to another man . his primary concern be that of the impending marriage of vaidehi younger sister and a prospect make far less likely with a divorced elder daughter in the same household . he tell her in no uncertain that she must return to the man to whom she lawfully belongs and however violent and sadistic he may be . he levy against her the age old adage that and the honor of every home lie in the hand of it daughter . quietly and pensively and she reply and yes and the honor of every home lie in the hand of it daughter . but there be no honor for the daughter herself .