The caste system had a clear impact on the lives of the widows at the ashram. Widows at the ashram were not allowed to do a lot of things as they were expected to lead a life of self-denial. Some examples of minor impacts are: widows were not allowed to have pets. This was demonstrated in the movie when Kalyani showed Kalu to Chuyia, and told her not to tell anybody because pets are not allowed in the ashram. Many food items were forbidden to widows. Auntie regularly states in the movie that she wishes to eat a laddu which is a fried sweet. Auntie remembers the last time she ate a laddu was when she got married. Widows are more likely to belong to the untouchable’s caste in the caste system because they were treated very badly and their shadows
