Kudrat (1981)

The setting is in scenic Simla, summer capital of the British Raj in the 1970's. Chandramukhi from Bombay is on holiday with her parents and so is Naresh, a US educated medical professional with his parents. Chandramukhi and Naresh show interest in each other, encouraged by their parents. Choudhary Janak Singh, an important and wealthy man lives with his lawyer daughter Karuna in a lovely colonial period mansion. Their house-guest Mohan, a lawyer from Chandigarh is a protege of Janak Singh. Karuna and Mohan develop a romantic interest. The story of Paro and Madho, who lived in pre-independence India comes to affect the present. Events of thirty years ago in the lives of Paro, Madho,Janak, Saraswathi, the gardener and the disgraced policeman come back to create soulful links between past and present. Themes from the life of Zamindars, British Colonial rulers, parapsychology and law are skilfully twisted, so that most turns in the tale are unexpected. Attention to detail is excellent.