A Haunting Tale of Choice and Consequences: Mani Kaul’s Movie, Duvidha

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In Mani Kaul’s 1973 adaptation of Vijaydan Detha’s story, Duvidha (Dilemma), nothing is quite what it seems. The movie begins with a newlywed couple in an oxcart on their way home. The bride has a sudden craving for a fruit, Dhalu, but is chastised by her husband who informs her that it is an unsuitable fruit for a woman of her class. The bride insists, and from here on begins a powerful narrative about a woman’s choice and its consequences in the stifling patriarchal world that she inhabits. 

Along the way, her beauty captures the attention of a ghost who becomes possessed with lust. Conveniently, the day after their wedding, her husband delivers a blow: he must leave her for five years to grow the family business, and therefore, does not see the point in consummating the marriage. He leaves her with a sinister warning:

“Ghar ki maryada ka achhi tarah dhyan rakhna.”

“Uphold the dignity of our household.” 

The ghost finds the perfect opportunity to take on the husband’s physical form and fulfil his duties. However, he is racked with guilt at prospect of this deception and comes clean. The woman accepts his proposal and they enjoy a peaceful life for four years until the news of her pregnancy reaches her real husband who then returns to claim his rightful position. 

In an unsurprising turn of events, other men in the village become involved in this dispute, and ultimately make the decision for the woman through a series of challenges, reinforcing the woman’s precarious position in a world governed by men. Although she makes her choice, she is not allowed to live with it. 

While the plot and the characters’ internal thoughts are articulated by dispassionate third-person narrators, the characters themselves maintain a completely stoic demeanour throughout the movie. This creates a strange break from reality which is further compounded by the fact that we never learn their actual names and there is no evidence of any time passing. There are long stretches of silence and the camera often lingers on the woman’s kohl-lined eyes, henna, and delicate juttis. Kaul also uses stunning visuals and ambient sounds such as footsteps, crickets, birds chirping and thunderstorms masterfully to maintain a sense of mystery throughout the movie. 

The silence and sounds, as well as the stillness and measured movements, however, all bring into sharp focus the main dilemma faced by a woman who must live with the consequences of her choice or go back to a life governed by social norms. 

You can watch the full movie here.

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