Urmila Matondkar celebrates 18 years of Pinjar; wonders if situation of women has actually changed for better

Actor turned politician Urmila Matondkar reminisced playing the lead in Amrita Pritam's timeless classic Pinjar that clocked 18 years of its release on Sunday. Marking the 18th anniversary of her National Award-winning film that was based on a social novel of the same name by Amrita Pritam, Urmila also pondered the question of whether the "situation of women has actually changed for any better or do they still struggle through the mindset of a rigid society."

The movie released in 2003 is widely considered one of the outstanding works of Indian fiction set during the period of the Partition of India. The story of the movie revolves around 'Puro', portrayed by Urmila, preparing to wed a man of her parents' choice when she becomes the innocent victim of an unresolved feud between families and is abducted and held captive by a young Muslim man- Rashid, played by Manoj Bajpayee, who is an enemy of her father.

Set in the time of the 1947 partition of India, Pinjar starred Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sanjay Suri in the lead roles. Besides critical acclaim, the film also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.