Alaap

Widowed Advocate Triloki Prasad (Om Prakash) lives a wealthy lifestyle in a small town in India with two sons, Advocate Ashok (Vijay Sharma) married to Geeta (Lily Chakravarty), and Alok (Amitabh Bachchan) who has yet to settle down in their law firm. Alok is fond of music and enrolls in classes run by Pandit Jamuna Prasad (A. K. Hangal). On his return, his father asks him to accompany Ashok to their law firm and start learning to practice, which he agrees to do. Triloki wants Alok to learn basic law from Ashok and eventually study for a law degree. Triloki does not encourage Alok's interests in singing and other fine arts. Ashok understands and tells Alok that while he will need to come to the office, but after that he is free to do what he wants. Triloki himself doesn't attend office as he is running for local elections and is focused on that. Alok met Tonga wallah Ganeshi (Asrani) at the station upon his return. Ganesh and Alok used to be childhood friends. Ganeshi's father used to drive a Tonga for Triloki, but was fired when Triloki bought a motor car. Alok is fond of music and learns from Ganeshi that a courtesan Sarju Bai Banaraswali (Chhaya Devi) sings very well. Ganeshi is a tenant with her and hence knows about her. Radhiya (Rekha) is Ganeshi's sister and is learning music from Sarju Bai. Alok goes to the slums to meet Sarju Bai and she chases him out thinking he is a goon lusting after Radhiya. Ganeshi finds Alok and brings him to his hut, where they sing a song together, which Sarju Bai hears. Sarju Bai is impressed to know that Alok learned music from Pandit Jamuna and takes him under her wings. Maharaj Dinanath (Manmohan Krishna) is a singer in his own right. He has feelings for Sarju, but never expresses them and continues to care for her selflessly. Sarju tells the story of Raja Bahadur (Sanjeev Kumar) who lost his wife.. Raja was a huge fan of music and Sarju was young. She left her Kotha and went to Raja that night, when his wife died. Together they sang a duet and that's how Sarju shared Raja's grief with him. One day, Triloki finds out that Alok has not been going the firm but is instead spending time in the local slums with a former courtesan named Sarju Bai Banaraswali (Chhaya Devi). He cautions Alok about this, but Alok continues to visit Sarju Bai. He and Radhiya get close to each other. When Mr. Gupta (Yunus Parvez) approaches Triloki about taking possession and demolishing the slum area (Gupta had leased his land to the slum area many years ago. The land was next to his mill which is now growing and he needs the land back to expand his own business), Triloki readily agrees and with his expertise manages to sway the Court's decision in Gupta's favor. Meanwhile Triloki sends Alok to meet Gupta and Mrs. Gupta (Lalita Kumari) daughter Sulakshana (Farida Jalal) for a possible marriage. Sulakshana tells Alok that she loves someone else Kishan (Benjamin Gilani) and hence cant marry Alok. As a result of Triloki's legal brain, Sarju Bai and others are rendered homeless. With the fee he receives from Gupta, he asks Alok to purchase a used car for himself. But Alok purchases a horse-carriage and decides to drive it himself to make a living. His enraged father asks him to leave the house. Alok stays with Ganeshi, Radhiya and Sarju Bai and is now considered a member of the family. When Triloki finds out that Alok is doing well in his work, he decides to hire motor coaches to transport people at a much cheaper price, thus cutting off Alok's earnings and perhaps forcing him to reconsider his decision, apologize, and return home to his father. It is on.. Neither Triloki nor Alok are willing to step down from their positions. Soon, Ganeshi and Alok see their incomes dwindle to nothing. In desperation, Ganeshi sabotages the buses by breaking their fuel pipes. The buses catch fire, but Ganeshi is caught and imprisoned for 6 yrs. Sarju Bai begs Alok to marry Radhiya, which he does. Soon Radhiya is pregnant and gives birth to a son. Geeta wants to bring Alok and his son back home, but Triloki is adamant. When Geeta insists, Triloki asks her to leave the house. Ashok goes with Geeta. Yrs pass and Alok & Radha's son (Master Ravi) is now a toddler. Alok has TB and is sick. Radhiya meets Ganeshi in prison, who advises Radhiya to take Munna with her and leave Alok. she and Munna can settle in Banaras with Sarju and Maharaj. This way Alok might be invited back into the house by Triloki, and this could end up saving his life. Radhiya starts nagging and fighting with Alok, but he wont budge at all and reconcile with Triloki. Radhiya takes Ganeshi's advise and leaves for Banaras. One day, Triloki's car is broken and he takes a carriage home, not realizing the Alok is driving it. Back home, father and son exchange pleasantries, before Alok goes on his way. Alok learns that Geeta and Ashok no longer stay with Triloki. Triloki can see that Alok is badly ill. 8 months pass and Alok has not written back to Radhiya. Meanwhile Sulakshana is married to Kishan and visits Alok in the hospital where he is admitted. That day Maharaj also arrives and takes Alok with him to Banaras since Sarju Bai wants to see Alok before she passes away. Sarju and Radhiya are devastated to see Alok in such pitiable state. Eventually Sarju Bai passes away after Raja Bahadur comes to meet her (Maharaj visits Raja Bahadur and begs him to come and meet Sarju) one last time on her death bed. At her eulogy, Alok sings the song that once Sarju sang for Raja Bahadur. Raja is moved and realizes Alok's talent. now Triloki finds himself all alone and wants to go to fetch Geeta and Ashok back. Raja Bahadur meets Triloki at his mansion and tells him that Triloki has made a grave mistake by not understanding Alok's talent. Raja Bahadur tells Triloki that Alok is dying and needs his father. Triloki is moved and visits Alok in Banaras. It is implied that Alok dies shortly thereafter and Triloki returns home with Radhiya and his grandson, who is as good a singer as Alok.