Adaminte Variyellu (1983)

Evocative and provocative, this radical drama graphically depicts the relentless oppression of women in urban milieus, which are presumed to be more liberal than the terrible conditions prevailing in rural India. The tale boldly depicts the struggles of three women. Vasanthi (Suhasini) has to mother three generations of her family, in addition to her daytime job; she eventually escapes into madness and experiences the asylum as a kind of liberation. Alice (Srividya) is married to a ruthless businessman (Gopi) and seeks solace in affairs. When she is refused a divorce, she prefers suicide. Both the middle-class women push their rebellion to self-destruction. The third, however, overcomes her condition: Ammini (Soorya) is a brutally exploited maid in Alice’s home. She ends up in a home for women where, this inspiring story captures how she helps her fellow women stand up for their rights and fight for their own freedom.