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Anjuman
1986 140’ col Hindi d/s Muzaffar Ali p Shobha M. Doctor c Ishan Arya m Khayyam lp Shabana Azmi, Farouque Shaikh, Rohini Hattangadi, Shaukat Kaifi, Mushtaq Khan
Social melodrama about the plight of chikanembroiderers in decaying Lucknow, the setting of Ali’s Umrao Jaan (1981). The sensitive Anjuman (Azmi) does chikan work to augment her extended family’s income. She is courted by a phoney poet, Banke Nawab (Khan), who has control over the chikan workers, but she falls in love with her wealthy but weak neighbour Sajjid (Shaikh). Encouraged by her doctor friend Suchitra Sharma (Hattangadi), Anjuman demands fair treatment for the chikan workers but the pressure on her to marry the exploitative Banke grows. She finally says ‘No’ during the wedding ceremony and has to face the wrath of Banke who incites a riot among the Muslims in the town. Anjuman then becomes a feminist labour activist and earns the admiration of her beloved Sajjid.