Lajja (film)
Lajja (transl. Shame) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film produced and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Based on the plight of women and feminism in India, the film satirizes the honor with which women are placed in society and the restrictions imposed on them. The fact that the names of four women (Maithili, Janki, Ramdulaari, and Vaidehi) are all versions of Sita, the ideal Hindu woman's name, is a message in itself. It features Manisha Koirala in the lead role as Vaidehi, the mistreated woman, while an ensemble cast of Rekha, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Ajay Devgn, Jackie Shroff, Mahima Chaudhry, Johnny Lever, Suresh Oberoi, Sharman Joshi, Danny Dengzongpa, Razak Khan, Gulshan Grover and Aarti Chhabria appear in supporting roles.
| Lajja | |
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Film poster | |
| Directed by | Rajkumar Santoshi |
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| Produced by | Rajkumar Santoshi |
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| Narrated by | Bharat Shah |
| Cinematography | Madhu Ambat |
| Edited by | V. N. Mayekar |
| Music by | Songs: Anu Malik Ilaiyaraaja Background Score: Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | Santoshi Productions |
| Distributed by | Eros International (Worldwide) |
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Running time | 202 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹22 crore |
| Box office | ₹34.29 crore |
Lajja failed commercially in India but was a major commercial success in the overseas. It received mixed reviews, but the performances from the lead actors were highly praised.
At the 47th Filmfare Awards, Lajja was nominated for 3 awards – Best Supporting Actor (Devgn) and Best Supporting Actress (for both Rekha and Dixit). At the 2002 Zee Cine Awards, it won Best Supporting Actress (Dixit).