1987/ 134 Mins/ Bengali/ Social

Some time in the 19th century, the savage practice of Sati (a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre) had been banned but not quite banished. An old decrepit Brahmin, Sitaram, is brought to the holy river to invoke divine blessings when an astrologer suggests that he can earn some merit by marrying again. The suggestion is accepted and a poor and needy Brahmin found who is willing to offer his young daughter, Yashobati, for the purpose. Despite protests from the "untouchable" Baiju, the cremation ground attendant, the marriage is solemnized. But death tarries and the relatives rush to heed the call of more mundane matters. The down-to-earth and rebellious Baiju, however, is overcome by anger and passion. The result is stormy and somewhat unpredictable.