Harassed Heroines in Girish Kasaravalli's Films

His first feature film "Ghatashraddha" had Yamuna, a young Brahmin widow, shorn, ostracised & thrown out of her home for having become pregnant & then aborting the fetus.

In "Mane", even though the couple are happy enough, the "Aunty" of dubious reputation, is looked down upon for having been abandoned by her husband.

In "Kraurya", the story-telling Granny has her savings taken away by false promises, relocated against her wishes & literally dies in the street.

In "Tayi Saheba", all three women in Appa Saheb's life are miserable. The first, Akka Saheb, has become a recluse, the second Tayi Saheba goes to jail, the third Chandri, though she has children, has no status as she is not married.

In "Dweepa", Nagi the wife, does all the work of the household, even saves the house during floods, but is told by her lazy husband that she is only the instrument & God only has saved them.

"Hasina", a Muslim wife of an auto driver, is abandoned for having three girl children & loses one of them also because of her violent husband.

In "Nayi Neralu", a Brahmin widow (already shorn in this case) is manipulated by her mother-in-law for selfish ends & abandoned again with only her grown-up daughter as her hope.

In "Gulabi Talkies" again a Muslim woman is abandoned by her husband but ekes out a living as a midwife. But unfortunately Kargil war occurs & the predominantly Hindu villagers believe some other fictitious  accusations against her, vandalise her home, put her on a boat & expel her from the village.

The uniqueness of Kasaravalli's vision is that even though all these women are from a geographically restricted space with its own culture, as human beings, their predicaments are universalised.