Mubarak Mechant

Shola aur Shabnam explores the story of childhood love, loss and reunion. Ravi and Sandhya are thick friends. Sandhya belongs to an affluent family whereas Raviâ€TMs family is poor. The two get separated when Sandhyaâ€TMs father is transferred to a different city. The film then fast forwards to the future, where Ravi is now grown up and is in dire need of a job! His friend Prakash offers him a place in his factory for a good salary, which Ravi happily accepts. His life seems hunky dory thereafter until he finds out that Prakashâ€TMs fiancé is none other than Sandhya! Will Ravi and Sandhya be able to reignite their childhood love? How will Prakash react when he discovers that his fiancé is in love with his best friend, Ravi?

Wealthy father sends promiscuous son to outside of Delhi with teacher for guidance. Son falls in love with a village girl who is set to marry another. Secrets unravel as the father and the groom-to-be discover their forbidden relationship.

Rajguru (Sohrab Modi) decides that Jhansi should get its proper recognition in history. He comes across a young girl Manu (the young Rani Lakshmibai) played by Baby Shikha. Her father has been hit by a carriage driven by an English driver. She gathers a few children to confront the driver. This and her confrontation with an elephant impresses the Rajguru who takes her in hand, shaping her into becoming a determined leader. He arranges for her, at the age of nine, to marry the much-older ruler of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao (Mubarak), who is about fifty years, and become Queen. Manu grows up under the expert tutelage of the Rajguru, learning physical combat and political administration. The older Manu now called Lakshmibai gives birth to a boy who dies. She adopts another boy Damodar Rao who the English refuse to accept as the rightful heir. This further sets her against the British. During the uprising of 1857 (1857 Mutiny) she fights against them succumbing to her injuries in the end. —Cinephile

Misunderstandings arise between Akbar and his son Salim when he disapproves his son's love. Shahenshah Jalaudin Akbar is the grandson of Babbar and the son of Humayun. He is known to have ruled over Hindustan with a humane and just heart. He knew in order to garner the support of the Hindus, he must treat them sensitively, allow them to worship freely, and in order to maintain this peace, he married Jodabai, a Hindu Rajput, the sister of Raja Man Singh. Through this marriage they became the proud parents of Shehzada Salim. Akbar first met Nadira in the Anar garden while she was awaiting the arrival of her lover. So pleased he was with her that he wanted to reward her, but she only asked for an Anar, so he ended up bestowing her with the name of 'Anarkali'. He met her the second time when she was able to revive Salim, who was seriously wounded in a war in Kabul. Once again Akbar was pleased with her, wanted to reward her, but again she turned him down. The third time she ended up annoying Akbar when she sang and danced in his court under the influence of alcohol, and he has her imprisoned. The very foundations of Akbar's palace will be shaken to the roots, and his manner of meting out justice will be put to the extreme test, when he finds out that Salim is in love with Anarkali and wants to marry her. While Akbar may have been successful to end the strife between Hindus and Muslims, but will be able to break down the wall between the rich and the poor? —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Thakur Jaspal Singh lives in the prestigious and palatial house called the Sheesh Mahal. He is badly in debt, yet continues to live a lifestyle far over and above his means. His son and two daughters are concerned, and try to stop him from over-spending, but he disregards them. Then one day the inevitable happens, and Jaspal Singh has to leave Sheesh Mahal, which must now be sold by auction to pay off his debts. Jaspal and his children move into a small room in the nearby slums, where they hope to spend the rest of their lives. Jaspal's son finds employment in a mill, but unfortunately meets with an accident, and in order to save his life, the doctors amputate his leg, leaving his unemployed and dependent. Jaspal's daughter, Ranjana, attempts to secure employment, but proud Jaspal will not hear of this. Ranjana gets employment, but she does not tell her father about it. Ranjana meets with a young man and both fall in love with each other. When this young man's father, Durgaprasad, comes to ask Jaspal for Ranjana's hand, Jaspal finds out that he is the new owner of Sheesh Mahal, and that Ranjana has been working as a maid there. Jaspal is furious, and taking his sword, he rushes over to the Sheesh Mahal with a clear intend of killing Ranjana, and anyone else who dares to stop him. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)