Mohini brings out the innocence of a young bride . Manj Jayan is her step son from around her own age who is a reformer . She is married to a very old man nearly 4 decades her senior who belongs to a rich upper caste already having 3 wives. Meekly she follows him . He is unable to consummate their relation on their first night due to his ill health. She goes to her parents house in the same village . When she returns back she realises that he has passed away .
Childless widows have had a tough time in our history . Very soon she settles down to a life of loneliness with the occasional visits from her step son asking her to study or remarry. In fact he himself once tries to ask her hand in marriage . Meanwhile she becomes close to a visiting Kathakali group actor Vineet .He is around her age. Their paths keep meeting they keep exchanging shy sly looks and smiles on lonely pathways . Vineet is Manoj's friend and is a frequent visitor to this family .
During one dance show , both become intimate and she conceives his child . From here start her ordeals , A pregnant widow whose husband died several months back must be dealt with very harshly . The elders of the community headed by the very dependable Thilakan come and stay in their house at their expense to give judgement . It will invariably mean that Mohini is guilty and an adultress and probably put to death or thrown out of the community . She at first refuses to eat or drink despite her senior maid Sukumari pleading . Finally when she realises that vineet has no intention of marrying her , she opens her mouth and says she has been violated by at least 64 men . The entire village is shocked. Meanwhile a repentant Vineeth returns back to claim paternity and marry her . She refuses saying she is now independent and cannot bind to one man . In the final scene , we see her practicing the Charkha weaving cotton with other women like her . A very poignant movie where this girl child grows very quickly.
Sukumari is elegant in her small role as a main maid . Mohini wears mostly white to show her widow status and steals our hearts from the first scene itself . Her own family has abondaned her as they cannot stand up to her rich in laws . A movie very rich in the back ground with old style Kerala tapestry , houses , costumes ,practices not to mention the lush greenery . A couple of dole ful songs thrown in .
Childless widows have had a tough time in our history . Very soon she settles down to a life of loneliness with the occasional visits from her step son asking her to study or remarry. In fact he himself once tries to ask her hand in marriage . Meanwhile she becomes close to a visiting Kathakali group actor Vineet .He is around her age. Their paths keep meeting they keep exchanging shy sly looks and smiles on lonely pathways . Vineet is Manoj's friend and is a frequent visitor to this family .
During one dance show , both become intimate and she conceives his child . From here start her ordeals , A pregnant widow whose husband died several months back must be dealt with very harshly . The elders of the community headed by the very dependable Thilakan come and stay in their house at their expense to give judgement . It will invariably mean that Mohini is guilty and an adultress and probably put to death or thrown out of the community . She at first refuses to eat or drink despite her senior maid Sukumari pleading . Finally when she realises that vineet has no intention of marrying her , she opens her mouth and says she has been violated by at least 64 men . The entire village is shocked. Meanwhile a repentant Vineeth returns back to claim paternity and marry her . She refuses saying she is now independent and cannot bind to one man . In the final scene , we see her practicing the Charkha weaving cotton with other women like her . A very poignant movie where this girl child grows very quickly.
Sukumari is elegant in her small role as a main maid . Mohini wears mostly white to show her widow status and steals our hearts from the first scene itself . Her own family has abondaned her as they cannot stand up to her rich in laws . A movie very rich in the back ground with old style Kerala tapestry , houses , costumes ,practices not to mention the lush greenery . A couple of dole ful songs thrown in .
