''Ek Chadar Maili Si'' is a 1986 film, directed by Sukhwant Dhadda, and is an adaptation of

Rajinder Singh Bedi Rajinder Singh Bedi (1 September 1915 – 1984) was an Indian Urdu writer of the progressive writers' movement and a playwright, who later worked in Hindi cinema as a film director, screenwriter and dialogue writer and he is grandfather Rajat Be ...

's classic Urdu novella by the same name. The novel won the 1965

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

. The film stars Hema Malini, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rishi Kapoor and Poonam Dhillon in lead roles. It was shot in village

Jandiala Jandiala is a village in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, ...

Nurmahal NurMahal or Noor Mahal is a city and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab. It is a small town located near the Lohian Khas-Nakodar - Phillaur line in Punjab. This town is also connected with the nearby towns o ...

railway station,

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

and near Kangra Himachal Pradesh. It is known for its performances by its lead cast and cinematography by

Shaji N. Karun Shaji Neelakantan Karun (born 1 January 1952) is an Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film '' Piravi'' (1988) won the Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. He was the premiere chairman of the Keral ...

Background

had wanted to make this film himself in the 1960s, with

Geeta Bali Geeta Bali (born Harkirtan Kaur; 1930 ‒ 21 January 1965) was an Indian actress who appeared in Hindi language films. She was the wife of noted film actor Shammi Kapoor. Early life Geeta Bali was born as Harikirtan Kaur in Amritsar in the Pu ...

and

Dharmendra Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...

in the lead, but with the death of Geeta Bali, the project was shelved.Punjabi Film fare, The Tribune, Sunday, 5 December 2004
/ref>

Synopsis

Rano (

Hema Malini Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...

), a feisty woman, lives in a village with her drunkard husband, Trilok (

Kulbhushan Kharbanda Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...

), and their two children. Her mother-in-law, Zinda (

Dina Pathak Dina Pathak (née Gandhi; 4 March 1922 – 11 October 2002) was an Indian actress and director of Gujarati theatre and also a film actor. She was an activist and President of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW). A doyenne of Hindi a ...

), constantly berates her for her inadequate dowry, even years after her marriage. Only her father-in-law, Hazur Singh ( A. K. Hangal), an old blind man, is kind towards her, but can do little. The only member of the family who can save her from the wrath of Trilok is her brother-in-law, Mangal (

Rishi Kapoor Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...

). One night, Trilok drops a young girl left behind at the railway station to a nearby inn. The next morning when the girl is found raped, her brother kills Trilok in rage. After her husband is murdered, Rano is forced to marry her brother-in-law, Mangal, who is a good ten years younger than her. He abuses her the same way as her husband did in his frustration once after marrying her. Raji (

Poonam Dhillon Poonam Dhillon (born 18 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. A former Femina Miss India (1977), she is best known for her 1979 film '' Noorie.'' Some of her well-known films include '' Red Rose'' (1980), '' Dard'' (1981), ''Romance' ...

) a gypsy girl, plays Mangal's love interest.

Cast

... Rano Singh *

... Mangal Singh *

... Raji *

... Trilok Singh, Rano's Husband. *

... Zinda Singh, Mangal and Trilok's Mother * A. K. Hangal ... Hazur Singh, Mangal and Trilok's Father *

Gita Siddharth Gita Siddharth (died 14 December 2019) was an Indian actress and social worker. She acted in mainstream Bollywood as well as art house cinema, like '' Parichay'' (1972), ''Garm Hava'' (1973), and ''Gaman'' (1978). She was best known for her ro ...

... Channo * Shammi...Jelmi * Adarsh Gautam... Trilok's Killer *

Gopi Bhalla Gopi Bhalla is an Indian actor. Some of his notable works in television include ''F.I.R.'' and Hum Aapke Hain In Laws ''Hum Aapke Hain In Laws'' is a Hindi language fictional comedy series which premiered on 14 January 2013 on SAB TV. The ...

Soundtrack

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id= 0377845, title= Ek Chadar Maili Si
A study of the film, ''Ek Chadar Maili Si''
Films scored by Anu Malik 1986 films 1980s Hindi-language films Films based on Indian novels Films with screenplays by Phani Majumdar