Born in a low-caste family of chamars (cobblers), Chandu alias Chandrashekhar (Dev Anand) helps his father repair shoes and other footware for a small pittance. One day a girl from a rich and wealthy family, Vidya (Suraiya) stops by to get her shoe repaired. She wants Chandu to stop doing this menial job, and go to school, study and become someone important. She offers help financially, and gets Chandu to school. Both grow up and are attracted to each other. Both intent to marry, but obstacles open up in the form of Harry alias Harilal (Madan Puri), and Vidya's alcoholic dad, who will not permit his daughter to mingle with a boy from a lower caste.
Acting
Dev Anand's early earnestness before he became the 'Evergreen Star.'
Score
Suraiya's playback singing—she was a bigger star than Dev Anand at the time.
Writing
Rare 1940s Bollywood tackling caste directly, not just as backdrop.
Director
Girish Trivedi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Dev Anand and Suraiya's fifth film together; their real-life romance made these doomed on-screen love stories hit differently for 1940s audiences.
Suraiya was such a massive singing star that her name appeared before the film title in credits—Dev Anand, not yet famous, came after. The power dynamics were real.
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