Kalpana Lajmi was one of the noted filmmakers of Indian Cinema. The fact that she was Guru Dutt's niece showed in her way of telling a story with emotion, passion and conviction. Her mother was Dutt's sister and so, it was in her blood to chase the 70 mm dreams. The unique quality of her movies was nearly all of them addressed social issues that nobody wanted to talk about. Domestic violence, marital rape, eunuchs, weeping women at funerals - these aren't the kind of subjects the filmmakers of those days cared to delve in but Lajmi always was different from the usual. Dimple Kapadia in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet: Here are 5 Performances of the Bollywood Actress That Prove Why She Deserves All the Attention!

On her birth anniversary today, let us talk about five movies of her that were unusual and 'bold'.

Ek Pal (1986)

A story of an extra-marital affair that began Lajmi's journey in the film world gave a hint of what kind of stories fascinated her. Giving a window to complex human emotions and desires was her forte and this film proved it too easily. The woman here is unapologetic about her sexuality and that's where she set herself apart from the rest.

Rudaali (1993)

This is one of Lajmi's most popular movies with Dimple Kapadia in the lead. Honestly, we never even spared a thought about these weeping women at funerals in Rajasthan more than just a tradition. Introducing us to their world was such an eye-opener.

Darmiyaan: In Between (1997)

An actress realises that her son is a eunuch...can you imagine such a movie in the 90s? And yet, that was the decade where filmmakers have done the maximum experimentation with stories. Darmiyaan has social commentary in the narrative that leaves you with a riot of emotion.

Daman: A Victim Of Marital Violence (2001)

Domestic violence should be criminal. Lajmi's movie however showed more than just that back in 2001 when people didn't even know about it. Hard-hitting, gruesome and extremely poignant, Daman helped Raveena Tandon prove to all she is more than just Tip tip barsa girl.

Chingaari (2006)

We shudder at the thought of Chingaari releasing in today. It dealt with power politics played by priests and their effect on the society. It'll leave you scarred which proves how fantastic Lajmi was in portraying India and its flaws.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2020 09:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).