Set in rural Rajasthan, 'Balika Vadhu' traces the arduous journey of child bride Anandi from childhood to the brink of womanhood. Married at the tender age of eight, Anandi must accept and accustom herself to a new family of strangers and accept her roles as friend, lover, wife, and daughter-in-law during childhood itself. Now, as a young adult, she faces new challenges as she tries to carve out her own identity in the world. 'Balika Vadhu' very sensitively portrays the plight of children who are unwittingly forced into marriage in the name of tradition and must bear with the repercussions for the rest of their lives.