A village woman abandoned by her husband is forced into prostitution in Kolkata and forms nameless yet strong relations with a wealthy patron as well as an abused boy in the neighbourhood.
Acting
Rajesh Khanna's restrained longing; Sharmila Tagore's devastating quiet strength.
Score
RD Burman's 'Chingari Koi Bhadke'—eternal melancholy wrapped in melody.
Writing
Dialogues that say everything through what characters DON'T say.
Director
Shakti Samanta
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Adapted from Bengali story 'Nishipadma' by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay—same writer as 'Pather Panchali,' explaining the aching humanism.
The 'Babu' honorific for Rajesh Khanna's character was controversial—upper-class men visiting sex workers were rarely portrayed with such empathy in 1972 Hindi cinema.
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