O.P. Ralhan

Sir John Locksley, the greatest jewel thief, decides his most prized possession, the Shalimar Ruby, should be passed on to a worthy successor. He invites the best rival jewel thieves to his island estate to participate in a deadly contest. On the run from the police, S.S. Kumar (Dharmendra), a thief, comes across a private invitation to the island of Sir John Locksley (Sir Rex Harrison) addressed to Raja Bahadur Singh (Prem Nath). When the Raja is shot, Kumar takes him to a nearby hospital, dons a Sikh's turban, poses as the Raja's son and goes to the private island of John. Also attending are K.P.W. Iyengar (O.P. Ralhan), Dr. Bukhari (Shammi Kapoor), Colonel Columbus (John Saxon), and Countess Rasmussen (Sylvia Miles). A stunned Kumar finds out that all of these invitees are master criminals and gangsters. Kumar's guise does not fool anyone, including his former sweetheart, Sheila Enders (Zeenat Aman), nevertheless John permits him to stay on, as he feels that Kumar's career, though an amateur, is consistent with those already present. The reason why John has invited them is to find a successor to take his place as he is dying of cancer. He feels that one of his invitees can be trusted to take his place and for this he has arranged for them to steal a diamond (shalimar) worth one hundred thirty-five crores of rupees. This gem is placed in a secure place within his palace, which is alarmed, and guarded by armed men twenty-four hours a day. He challenges one of them to steal the shalimar, but if anyone fails then he or she is killed instantly. Pitted against such veterans, it looks like Kumar has gotten himself into a bind out of which he may not come out in one piece. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

A business man must choose between keeping his promise to marry a poor village belle, or making it big by wedding his boss's daughter: a wealthy Westernized girl who bares a striking resemblance to his first love. Raj Kumar lives a poor lifestyle with his widowed mom but dreams of making it big. He gets employed as a Typist with Ranjit and Co., makes many errors, and is warned. He takes the warning to heart, improves his work, and is soon promoted to the position of Superintendent by the owner, Ranjit Rai. While on holiday he meets an attractive village belle, Gauri, and they fall in love with each other. He is introduced to her dad, and promises to return within one year and marry Gauri. When he returns home, he is told by Ranjit that he is now the Manager, and a few weeks later he is made a partner. Ranjit wants Raj to marry his only daughter Madhu, who is cultured, foreign-educated, and attracted to Raj--all the more so when Raj finds that she resembles Gauri. Raj must now decide whether he wants to keep his promise to marry Gauri or wed her look-alike Madhu--and if he does not, he could lose his job and his position as partner. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com) Raj Kumar is a first-class graduate and returns home to find out that his mother had brought him up after taking much pain and working for other households. Raj Kumar returns to the city Bombay to work in the office of Mr. Ranjit who being his owner also acts as a role model for the position that Kumar aspires to achieve someday. During a vacation, Kumar's life is saved by a beautiful Himalayan girl named Gauri with whom he immediately falls in love, and he promises to return the next year on the occasion of Poornima (full moon), to marry her. On his return, Kumar discovers that he has been promoted to manager and will very soon be partner. Unknown to him, however, is the overarching goal of Mr. Ranjit who desires to marry his beautiful, modern, Europe-returned daughter Madhu to Kumar. To make it worse, Kumar too has fallen for the charm of Madhu, a lookalike of Gauri and has unknowingly signed a paper available with Mr. Ranjit that could make him lose everything including the very clothes he wore. Kumar wants to return to Gauri who will commit suicide if he did not return by next Poornima. However, Ranjit Rai pleads with Kumar to marry his only daughter Madhu, who too will commit suicide if Kumar doesn't marry her. —Bhagirath Kumar Lader

A criminal young man decides to reform himself for a left away widowed woman. But their relationship faces challenges. Circumstances have made Shaka a career criminal. When plague empties a town of its inhabitants, he takes the opportunity to burgle a house. He finds nothing except Shanti, a widowed daughter-in-law who has been left to die by her cruel relatives. Shaka nurses her back to health. When her relatives return they are not pleased to find her alive and even less pleased to discover that someone has tried to rob them. Shanti gets the blame and a beating. Shaka saves her from worse, at the hands of brother-in-law, and the pair flee. They set up home in Shaka's house, much to the displeasure of the respectable neighbours who are all too ready to think the worst. Shanti's relatives are dismayed when a lawyer arrives to announce that Shanti has been left a legacy. They hatch a plot to get her back. Meanwhile, Shaka's rehabilitation is proceeding - much to the chagrin of his former criminal associates. Fire and redemption for some, death and handcuffs for others is what fate has in store. —van Goethem Widowed Shanti lives with her wealthy but parsimonious father-in-law, Jeevan Ram; her mother-in-law, who is cruel and beats her black and blue; and an unmarried brother-in-law, Kalicharan, who would like to have a sexual relationship with her. When the town is over-run with plague, the family takes all their wealth, and leaves an ailing Shanti at the mercy of the disease. Unable to move or take care of herself, Shanti knows now that her end is near. Then a thief, Shaaka alias Shakti Singh, breaks into the house, looking for jewelery and cash. When he searches the house from top to bottom and is unable to find anything of value, he hears Shanti coughing, and goes up to her room, hears about her plight, brings the local doctor, Alopinath, ensures that she takes her medication, and when she is able to walk, takes her with him to his house. It is then Shanti finds out that despite his civility, he is feared and hated by the local townspeople - and it is then she realizes that she may have jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the fire as Shaaka is not likely to let go of her anytime soon. Watch what happens when Jeevan Ram and his family find out that Shanti has inherited some wealth from a distant relative, and the manner they attempt to woo Shanti back to their household. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)