Bairi Piya-Amoli, the one who does not have a price, will she finally defeat the Thakur?

The commoditisation of woman in society is a topic that has been much debated upon in academic journals as well as in the common press. Serious art house cinemas have also raised this point time and again. Colors’ Bairi Piya talks about this very pertinent subject, using the idiom of Hindi serials. Set in rural Maharashtra it talks about the impoverished and poor farmers-the small land holders and the landless labourers- who often use the women of their household as one would use money or other possessions. In short women are used as medium of exchange.

The serial begins with a slew of farmer suicides that bring to the fore the miseries farmers have to face in our country. Amoli is the pretty daughter of a poor farmer. Soon she catches the attention of the village landlord, Thakur Digvijay Bhadoria. Her beauty sets his heart aflame with desire and he gets desperate to have her in his life. He tries to marry Amoli, albeit clandestinely, and promises her father to write off his bad debt in exchange. However he is unable to marry her. Thwarted in his evil designs, he tricks Amoli into marrying his man servant, Radhe, a man totally devoted to him.

The diabolical Thakur does his best to lure Amoli into his bed. He tries every trick in the book but fails. Here Amoli, refuses to let herself be used an object owned by either her husband or his cruel master. Her love for Radhe, her unflinching belief in a relationship that is of little value to her husband is wonderful to watch. She brings her strength of character to the forefront every time she resists the Thakur’s advances. Yes, she cries and she laments, but she is also proactive and a firm believer. She refuses to let herself be used as a plaything by the Thakur even as her servile husband stands by meekly.

Fortune favours the brave. And so things have finally started to look up for Amoli. Her husband Radhe has started taking small steps towards the creation of a relationship that can sustain the tag-husband and wife. However Thakur has not given up and it remains to be seen what new tricks he uses to finally fulfill his desire.