Koyla (1997)

'Koyla' is a fiery tale of tyranny, exploitation, betrayal on the one hand, and love, loyalty, faith and trust, on the other. This intense drama primarily revolves around Shankar, a mute man. He was raised by the powerful Raja-Saab, who treats him like a slave. Raja-Saab is a lascivious and greedy old man who desires to marry Gauri, a vivacious young girl. Gauri however, is a strong-willed girl who demands to see a picture of her future husband before agreeing to commit. In a cunningly calculated act of treachery, Raja-Saab sends her a photograph of the handsome young man, Shankar. Gauri falls instantly in love with him and the wedding proceeds. However, soon afterwards, she discovers that it's not Shankar she has married, but the lecherous old tyrant. She refuses to give Raja-Saab her body, so he imprisons and tortures her. When her brother, Ashok attempts to save her, Raja-Saab kills him. But before his death, Ashok makes Shankar promise him that he will protect his sister and consequently, Shankar and Gauri flee. After a chase through the woods, Raja-Saab's men manage to capture the couple. Shankar gets almost mortally wounded, while Gauri is sold to a brothel. Shankar, however, gets saved by a mysterious healer in the mountains, who operates on his throat while he is still unconscious. The mysterious healer digs out coal from his throat, which is how Shankar regains his voice, and manages to save Gauri. Then, he realizes Raja-Saab, is in fact the rich man, who came to his village one day, and killed his parents. When the young Shankar tried to spread word of Raja-Saab's monstrous true face, Raja-Saab sneaks up from behind and shoves coal in his mouth, forcing him to swallow hence he becomes mute. Though when he was young he never saw Raja-Saab's face, he remembers the day clearly. In a case of déjà vu he realises that it was Raja-Saab and his two henchmen who had inflicted this cruel wound on him, as he is in the process of getting for what they did to his love (Gauri). He takes his revenge on three of them, but not exposing the truth to everyone about what they did to him when he was a child. After cunningly killing them all, he returns to his love.