The film is set in rural north Gujarat. Kanku marries Khumo and their marriage life is happily. Khumo dies at young age while Kanku is pregnant. She is a widow in grief but waits for birth of her son Hiriyo. When Hiriyo is born, she spends most of her time in raising him. Many prospective males proposes remarriage but she declines and does farming and raising his son in struggles of poverty.[1]
She has to take loans during her struggles from a merchant Malakchand from nearby village. Malakchand is widower and has feelings for Kanku. She also has soft feeling for him too but both do not openly tell each other. When Hiriyo gets older and Kanku goes to Malakchand to take loan for Hiriyo's marriage. During this time, she was in physical relationship with Malakchand. Hiriyo's marries. Following her pregnancy, the village folk and neighbours gossip about her. She bravely declares her intention to remarry and convinces her son who has initially opposed her. She marries Malakchand.[1]
Gujarati writer Pannalal Patel had written a 20-pages long short story Kanku in 1936 for Diwali Special edition of Nav-Saurashtra magazine. Kantilal Rathod contacted him and convinced him to adapt it into film. Patel also helped him writing script and dialogues of the film.[2][3][4]
The film was released in theatres in 1969. The film was released on Home Video DVD by Moser Baer. It has shorter cut of 136 minutes, 12 minutes less than the original.[3]
Reception
The film was commercially successful[citation needed] and was critically acclaimed.[6] Film critic Amrit Gangar considered Kanku as the "first real spark in Gujarati cinema firmament".[2] The song "Mune Andhara Bolave" became popular.[7]
After success of film, Pannalal Patel expanded short story into novel and was serialized in Jansatta daily in 1970. He dedicated novel to Kantilal Rathod.[3]
^ abcPandya, Hirendra R. (9 May 2015). "5". ગુજરાતી નવલકથા પર આધારિત ફિલ્મ સર્જનમાં રૂપાંતર પ્રક્રિયાની તપાસ [An Investigation of Process of Adaption of Gujarati Novels into Films] (PhD) (in Gujarati). Department of Gujarati, Sardar Patel University. pp. 475–545. hdl:10603/40951.
^ abcThaker, Dhirubhai; Desai, Kumarpal, eds. (2007). Gujarat: A Panorama of the Heritage of Gujarat. Prakashan: 2 (1st ed.). Ahmedabad: Smt. Hiralaxmi Navanitbhai Shah Dhanya Gurjari Kendra, Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust. pp. 529–530.
^The Illustrated Weekly of India. Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press. 1972. p. 19.
