How Long Is “Achhut Kanya”?

A couple from two separate castes face discrimination in their village, Bavarian-born Franz Osten directs this innovative romantic melodrama about the oppressive traditions of the caste system. The film centers on an ill-fated love affair between Mohan (P.F. Pithawala), who is Brahmin-born, and Kasturi (Devika Rani), born of the lowly untouchable caste. When the neighbors get wind of their romance, they react with ruthless violence to maintain the community's ancient social order. Later, when Mohan and Kasturi bow to societal norms and marry their pre-selected, caste-approved mates, ugly rumors about the two spread again, resulting in death and bloody retribution.