Movie of the Month: WADAH   Release Date 2 May 1957 Director W. Z. Ahmad Producers Mian Ehsan Stars Sabiha Khanum, Santosh Kumar, Allauddin, Anjum, Ilyas Kashmiri, Majeed, Laila and Ghulam Mohammad Music Rashid Atre Lyrics Saifuddin Saif, Tufail Hoshyarpuri Editing Abdullah, Nabi Ahmad

Story: (click songs to play)

Bahadur (Santosh Kumar) is a handsome poor villager. He is relaxing in the hut when his friend Akbar Ali Khan (Ilyas Kasmiri) a landlord, calls him from outside. He invites Bahadur to accompany him towards the city in his Tonga (Horse-Cart). Bahadur has a beautiful voice and he starts singing on the request of Akbar:

Jab teray shehar se guzarta hoon.

On their way they see two sisters Farida (Sabiha) and Anjum (Anjum) cycling towards city. Farida cannot control the balance and falls down. Akbar offers them a ride and Bahadur helps them to sit in the Tonga.

Farida’d father Rustam Ali Khan (Majeed) is the Deputy Superintendent of Police. Incidentally Rustam Ali had received a marriage proposal from Akbar for Anjum but they had never met before. Therefore when Akbar and Bahadur arrive with Anjum and Farida, and an introduction is made, they all enjoy it.

A few days later Akbar sends an invitation to Rustam Ali’s family to join him on a bird-hunting trip over the lake. Bahadur brings the invitation. Farida invites him inside the house. When Bahadur sees the piano he inquires about it. Bahadur then tells her that he can also sing. Farida then invites him to sing with her:

Bar bar barsain more nain more nainan.

Farida is very impressed with Bahadur’s quality of voice as well as his innocent talks. They just finished singing when her father enters with a stranger. He introduces him as Anwar Ali Khan (Allauddin), younger brother of Akbar.

On the day of hunting trip at the lake side, Bahadur is rowing the boat and Farida is sitting on the other end. Anwar standing between them is shooting the birds. Bahadur and Farida look at each other and a song echoes in the background:

Nazar nazar se mila lain agar ijazat ho.

Anwar looses his balance and the boat overturns. They all fell into the lake. Anwar is almost drowned but Bahadur saves him. While Anwar is still unconscious, Farida dries her clothes and sings:

Ab jo miloon gi un say kahoon gi.

Bahadur takes Farida to his hut. There Farida asks him why he doesn’t get married. Bahadur replies that he has to earn a lot of money before he could marry a beautiful girl like her. Farida instantly asks him if he would marry her. Bahadur promises that he will only marry her. Farida also promises the same.

Meanwhile Anwar gets back to his senses. When he does not find Bahadur and Farida anywhere he gets suspicious. Later both arrive and are pleased to see Anwar back to normal but Anwar is so furious that when Farida is away he hits Bahadur’s head with the butt of his gun. Bahadur falls down with bleeding head. Anwar calls Farida and informs her that Bahadur has fallen down from the tree. Seeing the blood Farida faints. Anwar lifts and brings her home. He tells everyone that Bahadur has died but Farida does not believe it. Also when police arrives at the scene they cannot find Bahadur’s dead body.

Bahadur was actually lifted by a girl named Farhat (Laila), daughter of a fisherman. She looks after him for a month until Bahadur recovers completely. However due to the head injury he has lost his sight. Bahadur insists Farhat to take him to the city and finally one day she takes him there.

This is the wedding day of Anjum with Akbar and Farida has also been forced by her father to marry Anwar. Farida is clad in the wedding dress when she hears Bahadur singing outside:

Jab teray shehar se guzarta hoon.

Before the wedding ceremony could start, Farida escapes from the house. She looks around for Bahadur but he is nowhere. Farhat had informed him about the wedding and there was no sense in staying there. While Farida is wandering on the streets, she comes across the Manager of a theatrical company (Ghulam Mohammad). When he sees this beautiful girl he immediately plans to take her to the theatre. At this time Farida again hears Bahadur singing who is being driven away by Farhat in a boat:

Le chal le chal le chal ab manjhdar main.

Manager assures Farida that he is her well wisher and will help her find the person she is looking for. He and Farida ride in another boat and follow Bahadur and catch them at the end of the song. Bahadur and Farida both are very happy. Farida realizes that Bahadur has lost his eye sight. Manger tells them that he would take them to Calcutta (Kolkata) where they could hide themselves from the police. However Farida does not believe him. While the Manager has gone to purchase the train tickets, Farida tells Bahadur to run away and go to her father who would definitely excuse them. But when they arrive home Rustam Ali is very annoyed and locks Farida in a room and Bahadur in the jail.

When Manager returns and does not find Farida he goes to Rustam Ali and explains him that he was planning to help his daughter but Rustam Ali also puts him in the jail. Manager warns Rustam Ali that he will inform everyone about Farida’s love for Bahadur. Rustam Ali then releases Bahadur and Manager on the condition that they would leave the city. When Farida knows that Bahadur has been released she escapes from the home through the window.

Bahadur takes the Manager to his hut and asks him to go to Akbar to get some money to purchase tickets. While Bahadur is sitting alone he hears Farida’s voice. He gets out and reaches near her who is singing:

Aaj ki raat na tum jaao kahin aaj ki raat.

Meanwhile Akbar arrives there. He is very surprised to find that Bahadur has lost his eye sight. Akbar asks them to remain in the hut and silently goes to Farida’s father to inform him on the new developments. When Akbar did not return after waiting so long, Farida gets suspicious and asks Bahadur to run away.

When Manager returns to the hut, he does not find Bahadur. At this time Anwar also arrives there. He beats the Manager to get the details. After a while Akbar also arrives with Rustam Ali. Akbar suggests letting Manager go and then follow him secretly. Manager is released and Anwar follows him. Manager rides in a train and finds Bahadur and Farida in the same compartment. As train is about to leave Anwar also rides in another compartment. At next stopover he gets down looking for the Manager. Farida spots him and she with Bahadur gets down thru the back door. Anwar however bribes the Manager to make a plan to get back Farida.

Bahadur and Farida had a long walk and get tired. At night they stop near a stream to take some rest. Farida finds that Bahadur is very depressed and she sings:

Sunain kiya dukh bhari kahani suain kiya dard ka fasana.

Manager is able to find them and takes them to the theatre. He asks Farida to learn dancing and sing in the theatre to make some money to treat Bahadur’s eyes. However Bahadur disapproves the idea.

As per the plan agreed with Anwar, the Manger admits Bahadur in a fake Hospital to treat his eyes. Manager also calls Farhat in the Hospital to take care of Bahadur. Manager tells Farida that Bahadur is very happy because he had a nurse to attend. When Farida visits she finds Bahadur talking to Farhat in a very jolly mood. She is very disappointed and leaves the premises.

All the preparations are made for Farida’s performance at the theatre. On the day of the show everyone leaves the Hospital. When Bahadur gets to knows, he removes his bandages and rushes to the theatre where Farida is dancing and singing:

Nain se nain milare rasne ko.

At the end of the performance Farida notices Bahadur standing at the end of the hall. She goes to him but Bahadur is very angry. He tells her that he is leaving Calcutta to get some work and earn enough wealth to make Farida’s life comfortable.

Farida gets very upset and returns back to the stage where she finds Anwar standing with the Manager. She could guess their conspiracy and locks herself in the room. Anwar breaks the glass to enter the room. The Manger interrupts but gets killed by Anwar. Police arrives at the scene and arrests Anwar who later gets a death sentence.

At last Farida is back to her home. Her sister Anjum dies giving birth to a child. She however takes promise from Farida to take care of her son after her death. Farida fulfills the promise. Time passes and the boy grows but Farida could not get rid of Bahadur’s memories. In the hope that he will return one day she usually sings:

Shaam saveray nain bichha kar rah takoon main saajan ki.

Considering Farida’s pathetic condition Rustam Ali forces her to marry with Akbar. After their marriage, one day Akbar brings a letter from Bahadur disclosing the news of his arrival. He also informs that Bahadur has become a very rich person and his eyes are also cured. He had been working with a rich person who was so impressed with his hard work and honesty that while dying he left all his property for Bahadur.

This news upsets Farida. She goes to Bahadur’s hut and unknowingly starts cleaning it. She is still there when Bahadur arrives, clad in an expensive suit wearing rim less glasses. He reminds Farida about her old promise. He intends to talk a lot but she cannot utter a single word and leaves him alone.

Bahadur arrives in his car at Akbar residence who tells Bahadur that Anjum’s death persuaded him to marry Farida. Bahadur is stunt. Akbar calls Farida to come and meet Bahadur but does not get any reply. When they enter the room, it is revealed that Farida has committed suicide and saved herself from the embarrassment of breaking the promise.

Bahadur slowly leaves the place with heavy feet. A song is echoed in the background:

Jab teray shehar se guzarta hoon.
 

The End