Charnon Ki Dasi 1941

Charnon Ki Dasi is a 1941 Indian Bollywood social film released on 1941. The film is directed by Gajanan Jagirdar.

Sharmaji, a village school teacher suffering from heart trouble had nobody to look after him except his dutiful, hard working motherless daughter Vidya who attended to household duties since her early childhood and learnt to read and write from her father in spare time. Her father gave her the news that her would-be mother-in-law was coming to see her. Thus Vidya appeared in the traditional presentable manner before her would-be mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law. Chachi and her daughter Champa subjected Vidya to close minute scrutiny, examining even her teeth and eyes.

And just at the moment when Chachi was about to declare her her approval, she was upset by the discovery that Vidya knew how to read and write. But Sharmaji's assurance, that Vidya would voluntarily relapse into illiteracy under Chachis able charge, however, satisfied the domineering Chachi who hated the very sight of a book. Thus after agreeing to make Vidya “Charno-ki-Dasi" of her son Murari,Chachi returned back to her own village to make further preparations. After sacrificing her basic dreams how she wins the hearts of her family members forms the rest of the story.

SHARMAJI, a village school teacher suffering from heart trouble had nobody to look after him except his dutiful, hard working motherless daughter Vidya who attended to household duties since her early childhood and learnt to read and write from her father in spare time. Naturally, Vidya was reluctant to discuss with her ailing father the problem of her marriage, though she was quite eligible for it (in fact she had been eligible now for more than two years); yet the latter insisted on that subject and gave her the news that her would-be mother-in-law was coming to see her. . Thus Vidya appeared in the traditional presentable manner before her would-be mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law. Now Chachi, who was anxious to be the dominant mother-in-law was the opinion that no boy was competent enough to choose his wife, least of all her own son; hence despite her hen-pecked husbands feeble protestations she did not bring her son with him. Chachi and her daughter Champa subjected Vidya to close minute scrutiny, examining even her teeth and eyes. And just at the moment when Chachi was about to declare her her approval, she was upset by the discovery that Vidya knew how to read and write. But Sharmajis assurance, that Vidya would voluntarily relapse into illiteracy under Chachis able charge, however, satisfied the domineering Chachi who hated the very sight of a book. . Thus after agreeing to make Vidya " Charno-ki-Dasi" of her son Murari, Chachi returned back to her own village to make further preparations. Murari meekly told her mother that he felt no necessity to marry at all; his father thought the girl too big for his son. But Chachi turned a deaf ear to such complaints and eventually the marriage took place with due pomp and ceremony. Vidya leaving her father entered into her new abode. . On the day she stepped into her new home, came the news of the death of Champas husband. And this unfortunate coincidence gave an excuse to Chachi to regard Vidyas entry into her family as a bad omen and to attribute to Vidya the cause of Champas husbands death. Naturally from that moment the cursed daughter-in-law was subjected to all the forces of despotism and tyranny Chachi could command. The poor, innocent Vidya was made to toil hard day and night by Chachi. Vidya spent all her time in washing dirty linen, fetching water from the river, in grinding and pounding corn and in doing all sudry menial duties. Champa, who had a right to look upon Vidya as the cause of breavement, also did her best to make the lot of Vidya more miserable with different resources at her command. . One day, while Vidya went out to fetch water from the river, Champa was busy undoing the work Vidya had done. She threw scrubs on the floor thus deliberately hurting her own foot in order that Chachi Should blame Vidya for putting the lantern as well as the scrub the way. And Vidya, oblivious of what happened at home, was made to halt on her way back home by Nokheram, (a typical village rogue with eyes for beautiful women) by a clever ruse. Nokheram extended all sympathies to her and tried to be too friendly with her but Vidya answered his few questions formally and hurried away. . Back home, she found that stage was set by Chachi and Champa for scolding her. Murari too was present on the scene. Chachi exhorted him to thrash his wife like a real man. But Murari who, thanks to Chachis despotic rule in the household, had developed a fear complex, could not even raise his eyes to stare at his wife; much less could he be expected to scold her. Champas scheme, however, fructified when Chachi ordered Vidya to grind more corn and to wash heap clothes. While Vidya underwent her punishment, Champa who was supposed to watch her, found ample time with Nokheram in the backyard of the house. . Then, one day when Chachi had gone to the temple Muraris friends called on him, and Murari asked his wife to prepare tea for them. But all this fun was shattered to pieces when Chachi returned and scolded everybody with Vidya being the principal recipient of her abuses. And then on the bank of the river one day Vidya met a school teacher who worked as an assistant with her father. He informed her that her father was very seriously ill. Vidya returned home and beseeched her mother-in-law to allow her to go and see her aliling father. Chachi heard from Champa that Vidya was talking to a stranger on the bank of the river, and so putting a wicked interpretation on the incident she alleged that Vidya was thinking of eloping with that school teacher. Chachi not only refused her request to see her father on his death bed but forbade her from even stepping out of the house. . Poor Vidya! The thought of her ailing father haunted her as she worked in the kitchen. She fetched the book her father had given her when she left him; and she recited devotional verses from that book thus trying to console herself. But Champa who spied on her movements lost no time in informing her mother that Vidya was reading a book and neglecting her cooking. Chachi rushed to the kitchen, snatched the book from Vidyas hands and tearing it into pieces threw it in the oven. In trying to preserve the book Vidyas hands god scalded and her father-in-law came to help her. A sqabble between Chachi and her hen-pecked husband ensued; but after creating a scene Chachi as usual asserted herself in the end. . On the same night while she was grinding the corn with the scorched hands, Murari secretely entered her room and promised her to take to her father. Then while she was asleep he covered her body with his own blanket. Early in the morning Vidya got up and with blanket in her hand entered her husbands bedroom. Champa, who watched her, summoned Chachi. Chachi first asked Murari, who was awakened by the row, as to how he dared to flout her authority. When he pleaded ignorance, Chachi showered all her anger on Vidya and drove her out of the house. Murari, unable to asset himself infront of his mother went to Nokheram, asked him to see Vidya, who must have gone to her father, and console her on his behalf; Murari also pieces and availed himself of the oppurtunity to meet the deserted Vidya after her fathers death . Mean while, Muraris friends rebuked him for being a coward and submitting to his mothers despotic rule. Yet he could not assert himself until he learnt that Vidyas father was dead. Then flouting his mothers orders he rushed to Vidyas fathers house to find the Nokheram had taken her to the fair of the local deity. And there in the temple when he found Nokheram trying to molest her, he for the fist time a real man, rushed to the rescue of his wife and brought her back home, carrying her in his arms. . Now the tables were turned and Chachi had to subit to her sons domination and tolerate patiently the sight of Vidya and Murari dancing in her presence. Only Champa was on her side now, but her firtations with Nokheram had compelled Champa to think of nothing else but of getting re-married to him. And when Murari brought Nokheram and Champa before Chachi and declared their decision, Chachi thought of no other alternative except of going away to some mental sylum. But, just then her " Cursed" daughter-in-law came to her rescue by proclaiming that she would not stay a minute in that home with out her mother-in-law. The fervour of Vidyas speech, her sincerity and devotion to the elders of the family, won the old woman entirely-the anger turned into admiration and hatred into love! [Source: Booklet] Check out this page for more updates on Charnon Ki Dasi.