Pallavi (1977)

For his film debut, the noted Kannada novelist Lankesh tells of Shanta (Naidu), a bouncy university teenager who wants to grow her hair as long as that of Vyjayanthimala and is as idealistic as her boyfriend Chandru. The two apply for the same job, which Shanta gets. She eventually marries her boss, Jagannathan (Lankesh), but continues working. Her old boyfriend suddenly resurfaces, a fugitive from justice, and accuses her of having sold out in return for security. The film tells her life story in flashback, returning to the present to show the boyfriend being caught by the cops.