Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
romantic drama movie directed and produced by
Abdul Rashid Kardar
Abdur Rashid Kardar (1904–1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan). It was written by S. N. Banerji and edited by M. S. Hajee. It narrates the tragic love story of a prince and a nomadic woman who marry each other, become separated and when they finally reunite together they find themselves bereaved at the loss of their only son. It stars
Suraiya
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), popularly known by the mononym Suraiya, was a popular actress and playback singer in India's Hindi-language films. She was active from 1936 to 1963, and was the most celebrated actress ...
Suresh Suresh is an Indian masculine given name originating in the Sanskrit word ' (compound of ' and '). Its meaning is "Ruler of Gods" and it has been used an epithet for the Hindu gods Indra, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
People named Suresh include:
* Su ...
in the leading roles, with Shyam Kumar, Ramesh,
Madan Puri
Madan Puri (30 September 1915 – 13 January 1985) was an Indian actor of Hindi and Punjabi films. His brothers were actors Chaman Puri and Amrish Puri. As a character actor mainly in negative roles (villain), he acted in about 430 films in a ca ...
, S N Banerji,
Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki (c. 1906 – 3 March 1965) was a famous actress/singer and playback singer of the early Hindi cinema and was famous as ''Kannada Kokila''. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent fan of her song ''Vaishnav Jan To''.
Early life
Amirbai ...
, Mumtazbai, Neelambai and Amir Bano in supporting roles. The dialogues of this film were written by Jagdish Kanwal. The music was composed by the renowned musician
Naushad
Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the ...
, with lyrics penned by Shakeel Badayuni.
The film went on to become a huge success and celebrated a Silver Jubilee.
Plot
A young prince named Ashok falls in love with a girl named Lali whom he encounters for the first time while hunting in a forest. Later on he learns that Lali belongs to a nomadic community that inhabits his region. Ashok meets Lali again and both confess that they are in love with each other. In the meantime Lali's father, who is the head of his community, sends a man named Phulwa to look for her. Phulwa discovers Lali with Prince Ashok. As he has always desired Lali as his better half, he gets jealous and enraged on seeing Lali close the prince. He attacks Ashok, but gets overpowered by him and runs away. Lali becomes upset and fears that Phulwa will take his revenge on them. Phulwa returns to Lali's father and lies to him that Lali has no guts to face her father anymore as she has lost her virginity to the prince, whom he has knocked down on the spot. Lali's father believes what Phulwa has said and orders his gang, along with Phulwa to rob the regal coffer to avenge this insult.
In the meantime, Ashok and Lali marry and go to meet Lali's father. Her father does not assent to this marriage, considering the fact that their class distinction will be an obstacle in the course of the relationship; besides, he is the one who has ordered the robbing of the coffer. He tells them that he has no objection to this marriage if the queens of the palace can accept Lali as their daughter-in-law, and the prince at first needs to go back to his palace to learn whether Lali will be accepted or not. After Ashok leaves, Lali's father instructs his tribe to pack up and resume their march, leaving Lali behind. Ashok resolves to leave his palace forever and spend the rest of his life with Lali and her community when he learns that she will not be accepted by the queens. He goes back to Lali who was waiting for him to return, and soon they join the march. During the trip, Phulwa replaces Ashok's water bottle with a bottle of poisoned water. Ashok gets thirsty, and Lali, unaware of the fact, gives him that bottle of poisoned water. Ashok falls sick and Lali cannot understand how it happened. The queens, along with cavalry, spot Kumar and Lali. They accuse Lali of having given him the poison. They take Kumar back with them leaving her behind. Kumar is saved ultimately. When he regains his consciousness, the queens misinterpret to him that Lali has given him the poison because all she wanted to have is his wealth, but not his love.
Ashok reluctantly marries Mangala, the beautiful princess of Thakur Amar Singh. Mangala discovers that Ashok is already married to Lali. She feels as if she has been cheated and informs her father of this. Her father comes to retrieve her, but Ashok shoots an arrow in his back to counteract him. Hence Mangala is compelled to stay with Ashok.
Lali gives birth to a boy whose father is Ashok, actually. She names her son Ratan and tells him all about her past. One night Ratan meets his somnambulist father in the forest. He saves his father by killing a snake that was about to bite him. The King's men are there at once and they take Ratan to Queen Mangala. Mangala confesses her earnest gratitude towards him for saving her husband's life. She employs Ratan on his request. Ratan befriends Mangala's son. Eventually Mangala gets too fond of Ratan, and Ashok finds it irritating. Ratan meets with an accident while carrying the coffer upstairs. He falls down and has a severe injury to his head. Before his death, Ratan discloses that he is Ashok and Lali's son and his mother never gave the poison. Ashok is heartbroken again. He goes to Lali with the corpse of Ratan and they lament together on the death of their son. After the corpse of their son is cremated, Ashok returns to his palace with Lali on his side. At the door he meets an enraged Mangala with a sword in her hand. She argues that Ashok will have to leave Lali behind if he wants to stay in his palace, because Lali does not belong to the standard to stay there. Ashok counter-argues that as long as everything is his property he has the complete right to decide who will stay in his palace. Lali cannot stand this disquietude anymore. She leaves without uttering a single word and Ashok follows her.
Cast
*
Suraiya
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), popularly known by the mononym Suraiya, was a popular actress and playback singer in India's Hindi-language films. She was active from 1936 to 1963, and was the most celebrated actress ...
Suresh Suresh is an Indian masculine given name originating in the Sanskrit word ' (compound of ' and '). Its meaning is "Ruler of Gods" and it has been used an epithet for the Hindu gods Indra, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
People named Suresh include:
* Su ...
as Ashok
*
Madan Puri
Madan Puri (30 September 1915 – 13 January 1985) was an Indian actor of Hindi and Punjabi films. His brothers were actors Chaman Puri and Amrish Puri. As a character actor mainly in negative roles (villain), he acted in about 430 films in a ca ...
as Phulwa
*
Rattan Kumar
Ratan Kumar (19 March 1941 – 12 December 2016) was the screen name of the Indian born child artist who later migrated to Pakistan. He acted in Indian & Pakistani movies. He was born as Syed Nazir Ali Rizvi. He is best known for his work i ...
*
Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki (c. 1906 – 3 March 1965) was a famous actress/singer and playback singer of the early Hindi cinema and was famous as ''Kannada Kokila''. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent fan of her song ''Vaishnav Jan To''.
Early life
Amirbai ...
The music for the film was composed by renowned musician
Naushad
Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the ...
Suraiya
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), popularly known by the mononym Suraiya, was a popular actress and playback singer in India's Hindi-language films. She was active from 1936 to 1963, and was the most celebrated actress ...
#"Dil Mein Aa Gaya Koi" – Suraiya
#"Jeene Diya Na Chain Se" – Suraiya
#"Lagi Hai Manmandir" – Suraiya
#"Mere Chand Mere Lal" – Suraiya,
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
#"Tasveer Banata Hoon Teri" –
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
Hridaynath Mangeshkar
Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Marathi pronunciation: ɾud̪əjnaːt̪ʰ məŋɡeːʃkəɾ is an Indian music director. He is the only son of musician Deenanath Mangeshkar and younger brother of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. He is popularly kno ...
#"Humein Jo Koi Dekhle" –
Shamshad Begum
Shamshad Begum (Hindi: शमशाद बेगम, IAST: ''Śamśād Bēgam''; 14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013) was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry. Notable for her distinctive voice and r ...