Love vs Arranged marriages
This topic is one of conflict between Lalita and her mother and Darcy, throughout the movie. Whilst Lalita defends the concept of arranged marriages to Darcy, for example, when she says ‘The groom looks happy’, she is dispelling the western notion that arranged marriages are equivalent to forced marriages. Nonetheless, at the concept of her own arranged marriage to Kohli, Lalita is aghast and continuously mentions throughout the movie that she would want to only marry for love, rather than wealth.
Independence
This movie highlights the stark differences between modern day women and those of a traditional backdrop. Lalita, though coming from a poor family with traditional values, completely breaks away from this image with her fiery personality and defiance for tradition. Unlike her older sister Jaya and her best friend Chandra, who seek to get married as a form of independence, Lalita wants to be successful in her own right, without the help of a man.
