Guddi

Kusum (aka Guddi) (Jaya Bachchan) is a spunky and carefree schoolgirl who lives with her father (A. K. Hangal), brother Kishan (Vijay Sharma) and sister-in-law Uma (Sumita Sanyal). Guddi has a crush on film star Dharmendra, whom she regards as a superman who can do no wrong, unable to distinguish between his on-screen image and the real person behind the star. Guddi portrays at school (all girls) that she has to do the entire housework, including shopping and hence is frequently late to school. Uma doesn't like that Guddi is getting to be of marriageable age and still wears short dresses and behaves like a little girl.. Uma's brother Navin comes to her house, as he has a job interview in town. Navin complains to Uma that she never came to her Maika when her uncle Prof Gupta was sick. But Uma had responsibilities of her husband and Guddi and hence could not. Guddi wants to go to the movies with Navin wearing a mini dress, but Uma is upset and insists that Guddi wear a sari instead. Guddi is angry, but listens to Uma. Guddi father and brother realize that Guddi has grown up and decide to get her married to Navin, as that would not require dowry as well. Navin takes Guddi on dates, but all she can think of is movie dialogues in all of his romantic approaches. Kundan (Asrani) is an aspiring actor in the same town as Guddi. He tries to hang around movie sets when they come for shooting in the city. Kader Bhai (Keshto Mukherjee) is an aspiring producer, but more of a conman who uses his gig to take money from aspiring actors like Kundan. He wants Kundan to arrange 5K and get to Bombay to kick start his next movie. In truth he is an assistant to movie stars and does odd jobs for them. Kundan steals money from his helpless & poor mother and runs away to Bombay. Guddi meets Dharmendra at a shooting in town. He writes a note for her "To Kusum, with Love".. She is smitten and starts day dreaming about marrying her. Guddi is mentally married to Dharmendra and compares her situation to Meera. Meera considered her love for Lord Krishna as her marriage and that's how Guddi thought of herself. Nobody knows the extent of her crush until she visits Bombay, where her sister-in-law's brother Navin (played by Bengali film actor Samit Bhanja) meets her again. Guddi is in Bombay with Uma so that Uma can visit her uncle and also talk about the probable match between Navin and Guddi. At dinner, Uma talks to Dr Gupta about the possible match between Guddi and Navin. Navin proposes to Guddi, only to be taken aback when Guddi discloses that she is in love with Dharmendra. Navin discusses the matter with his uncle Professor Gupta (Utpal Dutt) (Professor of experimental psychology), who decides that the only solution is to make Guddi realize the difference between illusion and reality. The uncle contacts Dharmendra through a mutual friend. Prof Gupta tells the entire truth to Dharmendra. He theorizes that a girl is easily infatuated with a hero who has so many qualities (Strongman, poet, just, kind, knows multiple trades etc etc).. Gupta convinces Dharmendra to let Guddi see the make believe world of movies and see how much effort goes into making a hero. He says a boy loves Guddi and 2 lives depend on Dharmendra helping them. With his help, they show Guddi the difference between the real world and the make-believe world of cinema. Exposed for the first time to the grime and the cruel and heartless world behind the glamour of cinema, Guddi realizes that nothing is true in the reel world. She learns from Ashok Kumar himself that a film is given life by its director, cameraman, writers, spot-boys, light specialists, choreographers and so on.. but only the actors take the credit, as they are the public face of the film. she learns that the famous villain Pran is actually an angel in real life, who always helps others and is very generous. She also learns that all risky shots of an actors are performed by body doubles, who are paid a pittance for their services. Many times, the doubles get seriously injured, but those parts are edited out of the film.. To make himself look human, Dharmendra loses to Navin at badminton. Guddi is attacked by goons (who are Dharmendra and Dr Gupta in burkas) in the city at night, and Navin fights them off and tells her sarcastically that he can fight his own battles. One day Guddi spots Kundan in the studios in the line for auditions for junior artists. Navin speaks to Kundan. Kundan says he realizes his mistake, but cant go back as he stole money from his own house. Navin lends him the money and asks him return to his family. Guddi sees this. One day Guddi witnesses a spot boy falling unconscious due to poor health. He was forced to work, as no work = no pay and he has a family to feed. Additionally, Dharmendra shows them a star of the silent era films who is today an extra on the sets.. He also shows them old studios from where he launched his career and are today in disrepair.. nothing is permanent in the industry. While her respect for Dharmendra grows, Guddi comes to realize that he is just as human as anyone around and lives with the same fears and insecurities as anyone else. Guddi no longer wants to visit the studios and is finally sick of the fake glamour and realizes the pain and effort that goes behind every movie. She wants to go sightseeing. She reads Navin's diary which articulates similar feelings. But Navin is not convinced and still is sarcastic towards Guddi. To make Guddi jealous, Gupta shares photos of prospective brides for Navin. Then Navin also skips Guddi's Bday party, and this depresses her and she complains to Gupta. Navin was sitting with Dharmendra, who tells Navin that Guddi really loves him and that he should forgive her. Navin gets the job that he interviewed for and shows up to Guddi's Bday party. Navin tells Gupta that he has to join the job the very next day and has to leave by the night train. Guddi takes Navn aside and begs him not to leave. She admits to her love for Navin. The film ends with Guddi agreeing to marry Navin.