MALELA JEEV

Jeevi, a young pretty widow, falls in love with Kanji, when they first meet each other in a village fair. In a twist of circumstance, Kanji promises to wed Jeevi to the village barber, Dhulia. The marriage becomes a painful trap of domestic violence, with Dhulia suspecting the former lovers of continuing their pre-marital relationship as a clandestine extramarital affair. Tired of the daily quarrels and beatings Jeevi tries to commit suicide. But, in a cruel tragedy of errors, her tyrannical husband Dhulia loses his life. Jeevi, already slandered because of her perceived relationship with Kanji, is disgraced even further by her husband's death. She loses her mental balance and yearns for her beloved Kanji, who has now moved to the city.

Throughout the story, Kanji and Jeevi live separately but their souls remain united all along. Pannalal Patel is renowned for his earthy tales of love, linked to the ethos of Gujarat.