Chitragupt

A group of poor and helpless tenants are left to fend for themselves when the selfish daughter of their kind-hearted landlady decides to sell the property in order to afford a luxurious lifestyle. Seema lives a wealthy lifestyle with her widowed mom in Bombay, India. Her mother is a compassionate soul who rents out several rooms in a self-owned building, which is occupied by very poor and nearly destitute people like Chandu - who sells Rotis for a living; Rammurthy - who sells milk; as well as Murari who is physically handicapped, and Manglu who is unable to find employment nor food for his wife and malnourished children. Seema's mom often ends up looking after her tenants financially and also gives them ample time to find money to pay the rent. While returning home from a picnic in Khandala, Seema ends up in the wrong train compartment and meets a young man by the name of Rajan. She finds out that he wants to rent a room in Bombay and asks him to approach his mother. Upon arrival he does locate Seema's mom, and is permitted to share a room with Chandu and Rammurthy - much to his displeasure as he had expected a room to himself. Eventually both he and Seema fall in love. Seema's mother wants to retire and as a result transfers the property to Seema's name and goes for a Tirth Yatra. When she returns nothing is the same anymore as Seema, who wants a luxurious lifestyle, has sold the building to Bihari, and is all set to evict the tenants forcibly. Watch what happens when Seema's mother and Rajan decide to confront her to try and stop this sale. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Gayatri, daughter of a poor labourer, falls in love with a rich businessman. But the relationship sours and she is left pregnant with his baby. She keeps the identity of the father a secret. Narayan works as a laborer on the farmland owned by businessman, Ratan Kumar, in Ramnagar, who also has a rubber estate in Singapore. Although Narayan was an ex-convict, Ratan had assisted him getting a job, some land, and a small house where he now lives with his grown daughter, Gayetri, who used to work as a tutor/teacher. While bringing him his lunch one afternoon, Gayetri faints, and a woman tells him that she is pregnant. A shocked Narayan tries to find out who the father is, but Gayetri refuses to answer. He is all ready to beat the truth out, when Ratan intervenes, asks Narayan to take some money and re-locate, which Narayan gratefully does. They do re-locate and Gayetri gives birth to a baby boy, Narayan takes him to an orphanage donated by Ratan himself, and leaves him there, he returns home and lets Gayetri know that her child was still-born. Gayetri and Narayan eventually return to Ramnagar where Gayetri finds a job as a teacher in the very orphanage that her son (now named Shyam) lives in. When Ratan's son, Kamal, returns from Singapore, he meets with Shyam and likes him, but when he finds out that his school-teacher is Gayetri, he informs the Manager to fire her as she is not of good character. The question remains, who is Shyam's father, why does Gayetri remain silent about his identity, and what does Kamal know about Gayetri's sordid background? —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

After serving a long prison term for a crime he did not commit, but was committed by his lord, Seth Hiralal, Bharat was finally released from prison. As he emerged from the prison gates, he vowed to the police inspector that he would never return to prison again. In stark contrast, Seth Hiralal, who appeared to be a respectable member of society, was secretly a notorious smuggler who consistently evaded paying taxes to the government. When the government introduced a new budget, one of Hiralal's loyal employees approached him with concerns about the company's income tax obligations. However, Hiralal became defensive and argumentative, leading the employee to resign from his position. Meanwhile, a CID officer posed as a press reporter and visited Hiralal's office to gauge his opinion on the new budget. Noticing the officer's true identity, Hiralal feigned support for the new budget. Just then, Bharat burst into the office, fresh from his release from prison, and demanded answers about promises Hiralal had made him before his incarceration. Enraged, Hiralal expelled Bharat from his office. In an attempt to cover up the situation, Hiralal lied to the CID officer that Bharat was trying to extort favors from him. Bharat tells his friend Jeevan about the circumstances that led him to end up in jail. In a flashback, Bharat reveals that he was once an orphan who was exploited by a gang and forced to beg on the streets. One day, he managed to escape and survived for a few days with the help of a kind person. However, that person was later imprisoned, leaving Bharat once again without a family. For living, Bharat turned to illegal activities. It was during this period that he met Bela, another struggling young girl. Bharat fell deeply in love with her and began to work towards a better life. Bela encouraged Bharat to change his ways and find a legitimate job. Bharat's efforts were rewarded when he impressed Hiralal's wife, who took a liking to him as if he were her own son who had been lost in childhood. Hiralal's wife introduced Bharat to her husband, and Bharat opened up about his troubled past. Moved by his story, Hiralal promised Bharat a job. Bela was overjoyed to see Bharat turning his life around. One day, Hiralal had an argument with one of his employees, who then walked away. Hiralal chased the employee along with Bharat, while driving the car by himself. In a fit of rage, Hiralal committed a vehicular assault on the employee and asked Bharat to pledge to admit the crime on his behalf. Hiralal promised Bharat that he would secure his future if he took the fall and served the prison sentence. Bharat accepted the offer and was imprisoned. Bela visited Bharat and broke down in tears due to their separation, ultimately leading her to take her own life. Back in the present, Bharat confides in his friend Jeevan about his desire for revenge against Hiralal. However, Jeevan disagreed and suggested that Bharat should instead help someone else who was struggling. But Bharat refused to listen and set out to murder Hiralal. Meanwhile, Hiralal's wife was celebrating the birthday of their lost son, worried about Hiralal's absence from the celebration. Bharat saw her crying and felt a pang of guilt. Unbeknownst to him, Jeevan informs the police about Bharat's plans to kill Hiralal. Hiralal's wife blamed Hiralal for his absence at their son's birthday party, and he apologized profusely. Just then, Bharat shot Hiralal, but miraculously, he survived. The police arrived on the scene, and Bharat fled the scene. As the police were chasing him, Bharat hid under a bridge along with Madhu, another individual who had also fled amidst false accusations of theft. The police and the person who had been pursuing Madhu were unable to capture them. Madhu escaped from Bharat, but he managed to catch up with her. Bharat then asked Madhu about her alleged stealing, to which she claimed she was innocent and had only gone to fetch a doctor for her ailing father. She also confided in Bharat about her struggling family situation. However, Bharat didn't believe her and instructed her to stop stealing. Disappointed, Madhu cried beside her ailing father. Bharat saw this and realized his mistake, deciding to fetch a doctor for Madhu's father. The doctor advised that Madhu's father needed to be admitted to the hospital, and Bharat paid the doctor's bill. He then informed Madhu that the doctor said her father would recover soon. Bharat asked Madhu about her father's accident, revealing his contribution to the accident. Madhu then asked Bharat to stay the night at her home, and he accepted the offer. He took care of Madhu's father during the night. As Madhu handed Bharat a blanket, she discovered a letter written by her twin sister Bela, who was studying in Lucknow. The letter revealed that Bela had given up on her studies and had instead decided to participate in a beauty contest. Bela was the opposite of Madhu - proud of her beauty and youth, she wanted to use her looks to manipulate men and earn money. With this intention, Bela left college and instructed her friend to inform Madhu that she didn't know where she was going. Bharat apologized to Madhu for doubting her character. Madhu thanked Bharat for saving her father's life, and Bharat thanked her in return for saving his own life from committing a murder. Bharat comforted Madhu and went to meet the doctor. Later, he told Jeevan that he had chosen to follow the right path. Hiralal invited Bharat to his home and offered him a job, but Bharat refused, citing his desire to stay on the right path. Madhu was slapped by her brother for not giving him her bangles, and Bharat comforted her as she cried, promising to take care of her and her father. While traveling to Bombay by train, Bela used her beauty to trap a young wealthy man, who offered her a hotel room. At the hotel, she received a call from a journalist asking for an interview, but she postponed it to keep him waiting. Meanwhile, she gets a call from Shekhar, the owner of the hotel, asking her out on a date, which she also postponed. Madhu and Bharat visited the hospital to see her father. Bela told Shekhar that she wanted wealth and power to rule over men. Later, Bela performed at an event organized by Shekhar, attended by wealthy men in the city. Impressed by her performance, the gentleman she had met on the train offered her a flower bouquet. However, Shekhar got angry and asked him to leave. Shekhar praised Bela's spectacular performance and obtained an autograph from her. Bela dreamed of being wealthier and more popular. A henchman of Hiralal arrived and offered Bela a necklace with a proposal to meet Mr. Hiralal. Bela refused to meet him and told him to schedule an appointment instead. The henchman then revealed that the papers Bela had signed as an autograph were actually a five-year contract with Hiralal, who had bought both Bela and the hotel. Panicked after being deceived by Shekhar, Bela completely opposed the henchman's threats and gave the necklace back to him. Hiralal arrived on the scene, and Bela tried to escape, but they captured her in the hotel. The romance between Madhu and Bharat continued to grow stronger. Madhu received a letter from Bela's friend, stating that Bela had left college and was missing. The gentleman Bela met on the train disapproved of her socializing with other men and tried to stop her, but she ignored him and left. Madhu informed Bharat about Bela's situation and handed him her photograph. Bharat decided to go to Lucknow to bring Bela back home. Hiralal arrived at Bela's location, and she instructed her secretary to make him wait for two hours before reminding her of their meeting. When they finally met, Hiralal offered Bela a spot in his gang. Bela requested 25% of the earnings, and Hiralal agreed. After completing a smuggling operation, Bela attempted to escape with the money, but the police followed her taxi. She quickly switched to another taxi, and then the plate number of the original taxi was changed to evade the authorities. Surprisingly, the new taxi driver turned out to be none other than Bharat. Bharat asked Bela for payment before starting the journey, and then inquired about the reason for her hurry. She remained silent and asked him to stop the taxi, suspecting him. She fled from the scene, and Bharat followed her. Bela managed to shake off Bharat and handed over the money to Hiralal, then informed him that their car had been suspected and that even the taxi driver had become suspicious of her. Hiralal then spotted Bharat as the taxi driver and told Bela that he could easily take care of him. Hiralal sent a henchman to kill Bharat, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Bharat captured the henchman and threatened him into revealing his boss's identity. The henchman refused to comply and managed to escape. Meanwhile, Madhu's father had recovered from his injuries and was discharged from the hospital. He visited Bharat's room and recognized him as the suspect in his accident. Disappointed, Madhu's father rebukes Bharat for deceiving Madhu. However, Bharat maintained his innocence and confessed his genuine love for Madhu. Madhu's father then asks Bharat to call off their marriage in order to protect Madhu from Hiralal's threats. Bharat promises to Madhu to discuss their relationship with Madhu's father and to bring Bela back into their lives. Bharat reminisced about their first meeting with Madhu and suddenly left, leaving her distraught. Madhu asked her father what he had said to Bharat that made him depart. Her father told her that their wedding was no longer possible. Enraged, Madhu criticized her father and tried to leave, but he told her that Bharat would not return as he had promised to stay away from her. Bharat returned to work with Hiralal, who offered him a gun and promised to secure his future. Unbeknownst to Bharat, Hiralal informed Bela that Bharat was working with him again. Bela instructed Hiralal to send Bharat to her, as she could use him to infiltrate the gang. Hiralal orders Bela to blow up a train carrying Bharat as part of their smuggling plan. Bela tried to win Bharat over, but he showed no interest. She then ordered him to sabotage the rail tracks, which would cause the train to explode and harm innocent passengers. However, Bharat disobeyed her, and she used a gun to blackmail him into compliance. After a tense confrontation, Bela realized the gravity of her actions and apologized to Bharat. She agreed to return home and start anew. Hiralal berated Bharat for foiling his plan and dismissed him from his service. Hiralal provided a sum of money to the man Bela met on the train, instructing him to harm Bela. Back at home, Bela confided in Madhu about her lover and praised him. When Madhu discovered that the man was none other than Bharat, her sister's love, she decided to disclose her relationship with him and sacrifice her love for her sister. The man Bela met on the train came to visit her, bearing money and requesting her return. However, when Bela refused, he threw acid in her face, hoping that no one would ever love her again. Bela took drastic measures to protect Madhu from him by cutting off the power supply, and the man escaped. The police eventually apprehended the suspect. Hiralal told Bela that her eyesight was irreparably damaged and offered to provide her with medical assistance. However, Bela rejected his offer and declared that she still loved Bharat. When Hiralal threatened her in Bharat's name, Bela threatened to expose his smuggling activities. Hiralal attempted to console her, promising to send Bharat to her. Meanwhile, Hiralal's wife visited Madhu and inquired about Bharat's whereabouts. Bharat attempted to shoot Hiralal with a gun, but Hiralal's wife misinterpreted the situation, telling Bharat that Madhu was unwell. Bharat subsequently went to visit Madhu, with Hiralal following closely behind. Bharat confessed his love to Madhu, unaware that Bela was listening in. Madhu asked Bharat to pretend to love Bela, but he refused, stating that Bela was merely experiencing a misunderstanding. Hearing this, heartbroken Bela flees home and attempts to take her own life. Bharat stopped her just in time, but before she could return to him, Hiralal shot and killed her. Hiralal then called the police, claiming he had witnessed Bharat murdering Bela. The police arrested Bharat as a result. Madhu and her father were devastated by the news of her sister's death. In court, Hiralal testified that he had witnessed Bharat murdering Bela. However, the defense attorney proved to the judge that Hiralal was lying. The defense attorney presented evidence that the murder weapon, which had Bharat's fingerprints, was once given to Bharat by Hiralal, only to be returned later. Bharat interpreted the defense attorney's words, telling the judge that the advocate was lying to save him. As a result, Bharat agreed to confess his crimes. Hiralal's lawyer made Bharat confess to attempting to murder Hiralal multiple times. The lawyer claimed that Bharat had murdered Bela in order to trap Madhu. Madhu objected to the lawyer's opinion, and Hiralal's lawyer requested that the judge impose a suitable punishment on Bharat. The defense attorney announced that he would no longer defend Bharat. Bharat confessed in court that he did not murder Bela, but had been forced to lie due to Hiralal's lawyer trapping him. He then confessed to his earlier crimes. The court adjourned until the next day. The defense attorney informed Hiralal's wife that there was no longer any hope of saving Bharat. A witness named Banwala, who had previously testified against Bharat, appeared at Hiralal's residence with a disguised police officer. Hiralal offered him money, but Banwala requested only 5 rupees. Banwala then revealed that he was actually Shambhu, an old servant of Hiralal who had once asked for 5 rupees from Hiralal to buy medicine for his ill son. However, Hiralal had refused, and Shambhu's son had since passed away. Shambhu threatened that another child would suffer a similar fate tomorrow, namely Bharat, whom Shambhu had stolen from Hiralal as revenge for his son's death. Shambhu threw the money at Hiralal and departed. Hiralal and his wife visited Bharat in jail and noticed a scar on his back. They suddenly realized that Bharat was their lost son. Hiralal's wife begged Hiralal to save their son from the death penalty. In court, Hiralal confessed that Bharat was innocent and that he himself had committed all the crimes. He revealed that Bharat was indeed his own son. The judge declared Bharat free of all charges and sentenced Hiralal to the death penalty instead. At the end of the film, Hiralal reunites both Bharat and Madhu before being taken away to prison.

Although a graduate in Arts, Shanta agrees to get married to a much lesser educated widowed businessman, Ratanlal, who has a son, Mithu, from his first marriage, and re-locates to live with him, his brothers; Ramesh, Rajan, & Baldev, and an aunt. Ratanlal permits her to let her child-widowed sister, Lata, to also live with them. Shanta soon earns the respect and love of everyone in the family. Ramesh gets married to Advocate Motilal's daughter, Tara, while Rajan gets married to Mangala, who is Munshiram's daughter. After these marriages, misunderstandings crop up, generally generated by Mangala, so much so that Tara joins forces with her, forcing the brothers to separate from each other, with Ratanlal dividing the property and business equally amongst them, and re-locating in a small village house, while Ramesh now lives with Tara and her brother, Jeevan and his wife. Rajan does not get along with Mangala, takes to alcohol in a big way, stops his medical studies and joins the army, and Baldev re-locates to Bombay. The question remains will this troubled family ever be re-united again during their respective lifetimes? —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)