Widows in India
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2020 2:46 pm
I just saw movie "Prem Rog" (1982). Very dramatic and filled with foot scenes including stepping on broken glass and getting thorn in foot. One scene had a widow leaving a temple barefoot and a guy tried to get her to put sandals on. This caused a scandalous reaction among the villagers. Supposedly a widow had to go barefoot always. Other restrictions were she had to wear white, eat simple food, and not have anything to do with a new man. I had never heard of such restrictions anywhere in India in the past. The movie was set in mid to late 20th century, with rich people having jeeps. Does anyone know anything about them? The village seemed to be run by a family known as Thakurs, who were basically laws unto themselves, although there was also a village chief and a priest. I found the movie to be one of the best Indian films I have seen. The lead actress, Padmini Kolhapure, was very beautiful.