Bhavni Bhavai

Bhavni Bhavai Gujarati The Tale of the Life is a 1980 Gujarati film directed by Ketan Mehta, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil, Mohan Gokhale, Benjamin Gilani. The film tells the story of untouchability through folklores and Bhavai.

The film begins with a group of Harijans migrating to a city pausing for a night. An elderly Om Puri starts narrating the story of King Chakrasen.King Chakrasen Naseeruddin Shah badly wants an heir, but neither of his two queens can conceive a child. One day Chakrasen smells foul smell at his darbar, upon investigating he is told the place is not cleaned because bhangis are on holiday for a wedding. Angrily, he summons them immediately and orders their flagellation as the punishment. Meanwhile, his spy brings the information that his people are conspiring against the king. On the advice of his prime minister Benjamin Gilani, he decides to declare a war against the neighbouring state, as a distraction. Unknown to the king, his prime minister is having an affair with his younger queen Suhasini Mulay. Before the king can declare a war, the neighbouring king decides to attack for the similar reasons. Chakrasens army wins the war but suffers major brutality. At the same time, the king receives the news that his elder queen is expecting a child. Hearing this news, the jealous young queen and prime minister conspires with the royal astrologer and tells the king that if the king sees the face of the newborn, he will die immediately. Fearing for his life, the king orders to kill the newborn. The soldiers, ordered to kill the child, have a change of heart and instead of killing him, puts him in a wooden box and lets go of him in the river, where one of the bhangis, Malo Bhagat Om Puri accidentally finds the box and decides to raise the child with his wife, Dhuli Dina Pathak, as his own, Jeevo. While in kingdom, the royal astrologer suggests that if the king wants a child, he must build a stepwell and the king agrees to it. ........

Source: Wikipedia