The Forgotten Woman is a documentary that seeks to understand the destitution and marginalization of many of the millions of India's widows who are forced by age-old traditions to live out their remaining years isolated from and shunned by their society.

The film examines the status of widows today as compared to those in the past. Interviews with urban women contrast with the lives of rural women. The film shows that although there is positive change in the status of widows, there is still an enormous stigma and exploitation associated with widowhood, denying a significant portion of Indian women their basic human rights.