Sujata (1959)
Sujata is a romance between a Brahmin young man, Adheer (Sunil Dutt) and an untouchable woman, Sujata (Nutan). The movie has Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s fight against untouchability and the myth of Chandalika in Hinduism as its subtexts on the basis of which it tries to criticize the practice of untouchability in India.
Brahmin couple Upen and Charu bring up the orphaned Sujata. Although Upen is fond of the adopted child, his wife Charu and mother can never fully embrace Sujata because she is an untouchable. They never fail to remind Sujata that she doesn’t belong amongst Brahmins. One day, Upen’s wife falls down the stairs and is rushed to the hospital. The doctors tell the family that in order to save Charu, they need the blood of a rare group. Only Sujata’s blood matches and she willingly donates blood. When Upen’s wife knows that her life was saved by Sujata, she realizes her mistakes and accepts her as her daughter. Sujata and Adheer are finally married.
