Description

Cast: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla, Adil Hussain, Lehar Khan, Sayani Gupta

Director: Leena Yadav

Producer: Ajay Devgan

Premise

The film revolves around four women living an unwanted life in a village of Rajasthan in the north-western region of India, which still suffers from old, age-ridiculed traditions like forced child marriages and other social issues like financial difficulties, spousal and familial rape, and physically and emotionally abusive alcoholic husbands.

Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee), who has been a widow for half of her life, is trying with all her might to get her son, Gulab (Riddhi Sen), married to a beautiful girl, Janki (Lehar Khan), from the neighboring village. Then there is Lajjo (Radhika Apte), a friend of Rani. They both are skilled and work for a local entrepreneur named Kishan (Sumeet Vyas). Lajjo is childless and wants to conceive desperately but fails due to her impotent and alcoholic husband Manoj (Mahesh Balraj), who labels her as 'baanj' (infertile). On top of this, Manoj batters her every night. The fourth woman is Bijli (Surveen Chawla), a local erotic dancer, who is a feast for the eyes of village men. She not just dances but fulfils the inner carnal desires of many men during the dry, sensuous nights of the village.

The men of village fear the development and skill of the women and want to live the lifestyle left by their forefathers. The entwined story of these four women shows how they live in a tightly controlled world, hemmed in by tradition, but in their private spaces, they freely talk about love, sex, and their dreams for the future and enjoy each other's company very much.

The twist to the story comes when Rani discovers Janki is dishonored in her village, Lajjo is tired of the brutality of her husband and Bijli is jealous of a new girl Rekha, who might replace her. This leads to a journey of freedom and finding solace in each other together. Wikipedia

News & Reviews

Rabari community offended by Parched, director claims receiving threats By :Hindustan Times‎

Why films like 'Parched' need limited release By :Livemint‎

Pink vs Banjo vs Parched box office collection: Amitabh Bachchan's film is a clear winner By :The Indian Express

Parched movie review: A good end to a problematic journey By :The Indian Express

Parched review: Where women celebrate struggles and emerge winners By :Hindustan Times‎

Parched Movie Review: Radhika Apte is Outstanding as the Battered Lajjo - NDTV Movies By :NDTV‎‎

Review: Women in Radhika Apte's 'Parched' Are Bruised, Not Bechari By :The Quint‎‎

Parched's top five best moments; from Radhika Apte's performance to portrayal of prostitution By :Firstpost‎‎‎

Parched Movie Review, Trailer, & Show timings at Times of India By :Times of India

“The Casting Couch Is Real” Says 'Parched' Actress Surveen Chawla By : The Quint‎‎

Ajay Devgn, Surveen Chawla, Tannishtha Chatterjee launch Parched trailer, see pics By : The Indian Express‎

What Radhika Aptes Parched Director Says About the Leaked Scene - NDTV Movies By :NDTV