 Swayamvaram ( English : One 's Own Choice ) is a 1972 Indian Malayalam @-@ language drama film co @-@ written and directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan , starring Madhu and Sharada in the lead roles . Notable smaller roles were played by Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair , Adoor Bhavani , K. P. A. C. Lalitha , and Bharath Gopi . The film depicts the life of a couple — Vishwam ( Madhu ) and Sita ( Sharada ) — who have married against their parents ' wishes and want to start a new life at a new place . The title is an allusion to the ancient Indian practice of a girl of marriageable age choosing a husband from among a list of suitors . 
