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{{short description|1991 Indian Hindi drama film}}
{{short description|1991 Indian Hindi drama film}}
{{distinguish|text=Amitabh Bachchan starrer, [[Saudagar (1973 film)]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
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| caption        = Film poster
| caption        = Film poster
| director      = [[Subhash Ghai]]
| director      = [[Subhash Ghai]]
| producer      = [[Ashok Ghai]]<br>[[Subhash Ghai]]
| producer      = [[Subhash Ghai]]
| writer        = [[Sachin Bhowmick]]<br>[[Subhash Ghai]]<br>[[Kamlesh Pandey]]
| writer        = [[Sachin Bhowmick]]<br/>[[Subhash Ghai]]<br/>[[Kamlesh Pandey]]
| starring      = [[Dilip Kumar]]<br>[[Raaj Kumar]]<br>[[Manisha Koirala]]<br>[[Vivek Mushran]]<br>[[Amrish Puri]]<br>[[Mukesh Khanna]]<br>[[Gulshan Grover]]<br>[[Anupam Kher]]<br>[[Jackie Shroff]]
| starring      = [[Dilip Kumar]]<br/>[[Raaj Kumar]]<br/>[[Manisha Koirala]]<br/>[[Vivek Mushran]]<br/>[[Amrish Puri]]<br/>[[Mukesh Khanna]]<br/>[[Gulshan Grover]]<br/>[[Anupam Kher]]<br/>[[Jackie Shroff]]
| music          = [[Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]
| music          = [[Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]
| cinematography = [[Ashok Mehta]]
| cinematography = [[Ashok Mehta]]
| editing        = [[Waman Bhonsle]]<br>[[Gurudutt Shirali]]
| editing        = [[Waman Bhonsle]]<br/>Gurudutt Shirali
| studio        =  
| studio        =  
| distributor    = [[Mukta Arts]]
| distributor    = [[Mukta Arts]]
| released      = {{Film date|df=yes|1991|08|09|India}}
| released      = {{Film date|df=yes|1991|08|09|India}}
| runtime        = 213 min
| runtime        = 201 min
| country        = India
| country        = India
| language      = Hindi
| language      = Hindi
| budget        = ₹ 5 crore
| budget        =  
| gross          = 15.54 crore
| gross          = {{INRConvert|15.75|c|year=1991}}<ref name="BO">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=197&catName=MTk5MQ== |title=Boxofficeindia.com |publisher=Boxofficeindia.com |access-date=16 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111130716/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=197&catName=MTk5MQ== |archive-date=11 January 2012  }}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Saudagar''''' (transl. Merchant) is a [[Bollywood films of 1991|1991]] [[Bollywood|Indian]] Hindi drama film, directed by [[Subhash Ghai]]. It starred two legends of the Hindi silver screen, [[Dilip Kumar]] and [[Raaj Kumar]], in the leading roles. It was the second film in which the two actors came together after the 1959 film ''[[Paigham]]''. It featured the debut performances of [[Vivek Mushran]] and [[Manisha Koirala]], the latter became a noted [[Bollywood actress]] in later years. [[Amrish Puri]], [[Anupam Kher]], [[Mukesh Khanna]], [[Dalip Tahil]], [[Gulshan Grover]], [[Dina Pathak]] and [[Jackie Shroff]] are also featured in the movie. The story line is influenced by the famous play ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' and Mandhaari's role is parallel to that of [[Friar Laurence]] in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''.


The film was a [[Silver Jubilee]] success all over India and was a hit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=197&catName=MTk5MQ== |title=Boxofficeindia.com |publisher=Boxofficeindia.com |access-date=16 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111130716/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=197&catName=MTk5MQ== |archive-date=11 January 2012  }}</ref> ''Saudagar'' got director [[Subhash Ghai]] his only [[Filmfare Best Director Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muktaarts.com/saudagar.asp |title=Mukta Arts |publisher=Mukta Arts |access-date=16 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.is/20120903124813/http://www.muktaarts.com/saudagar.asp |archive-date=3 September 2012  }}</ref>
'''''Saudagar''''' (transl. Merchant) is a 1991 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[Action film|action drama film]], directed by [[Subhash Ghai]]. It stars [[Dilip Kumar]] and [[Raaj Kumar]], the two acting giants of [[Hindi cinema]] in lead roles. It was the second film in which the two actors came together after the 1959 film ''[[Paigham]]''. It featured the debut performances of [[Vivek Mushran]] and [[Manisha Koirala]], the latter becoming a noted [[Bollywood actress]] in later years. [[Amrish Puri]], [[Anupam Kher]], [[Mukesh Khanna]], [[Dalip Tahil]], [[Gulshan Grover]], [[Dina Pathak]], [[Deepti Naval]] and [[Jackie Shroff]] star in key roles.
 
The story line is influenced by ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' and Mandhaari's role is parallel to that of [[Friar Laurence]] in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''. It was also inspired by the 1985 [[Cinema of Pakistan|Pakistani]] Punjabi movie ''Haq Mehar''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vijayakar |first=Rajiv |date=30 October 2019 |title=Bala Vs Ujda Chaman: ‘Hair’-raising facts about cinematic ‘humshakals’ |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/bala-vs-ujda-chaman-hair-raising-facts-cinematic-humshakals/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250106103339/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/bala-vs-ujda-chaman-hair-raising-facts-cinematic-humshakals/ |archive-date=6 January 2025 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |quote=}}</ref>
 
''Saudagar'' was a [[silver jubilee]] hit all over India and the [[List of Indian films of 1991#Box office collection|third highest grossing Indian film of 1991]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Top Actor Of 2020 - Box Office India |url=https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=6153 |access-date=2022-10-17 |website=boxofficeindia.com |archive-date=17 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017213847/https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=6153 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-02-16 |title=BoxOfficeIndia.Com-The complete hindi film box office site |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/1991.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216055806/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/1991.htm |archive-date=2007-02-16  |access-date=2022-11-14 }}</ref> It features among the top 10 grossers of the 1990s''.''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-04-08 |title=BoxOfficeIndia.Com-The complete hindi film box office site |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/90-99.htm |access-date=2022-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060408044235/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/90-99.htm |archive-date=8 April 2006 }}</ref> ''Saudagar'' received eight nominations at the [[37th Filmfare Awards]], and won two awards including [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for [[Subhash Ghai]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muktaarts.com/saudagar.asp |title=Mukta Arts |publisher=Mukta Arts |access-date=16 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903124813/http://www.muktaarts.com/saudagar.asp |archive-date=3 September 2012  }}</ref> It was Dilip Kumar's penultimate film and final box office success.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/saudagar/article28571167.ece | title=Saudagar | newspaper=The Hindu | date=4 July 2002 | access-date=2 May 2022 | archive-date=2 May 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502101137/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/saudagar/article28571167.ece | url-status=live }}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
The movie starts with Mandhari, an old crippled man, telling a story of two friends to some kids. In the story, Rajeshwar Singh, a rich landlord's son, and Veer Singh, a poor farmer's son, become friends. They are naughty kids, calling each other as Raju and Veeru respectively. As the duo grow up, Raju decides to get his sister Palikanta's marriage arranged with Veeru. Neither his sister nor Veeru have any objections to the marriage.


The movie starts with Mandhari, an old crippled man, telling a story of two friends to some kids. In the story, Rajeshwar Singh, a rich landlord's son, and Veer Singh, a poor farmer's son, become friends. They are naughty kids, calling each other as Raju and Veeru respectively. As the duo grow up, Raju decides to get his sister Palikanta's marriage arranged with Veeru. Neither his sister nor Veeru have any objections to the marriage.
However, as luck would have it, a girl's marriage in town is disrupted due to her in-laws demanding dowry. Veeru steps in to save the face of the girl and her parents by marrying her. While Raju is shocked by this development, his sister, who was secretly in love with Veeru, commits suicide. Devastated and distraught, Raju now declares that Veeru is solely responsible for everything that happened, making him his mortal enemy.


However, as luck would have it, a girl's marriage is disrupted due to her in-laws demanding dowry. Veeru steps in to save the face of the girl and her parents by marrying her. While Raju is shocked by this development, his sister, who was secretly in love with Veeru, commits suicide. A devastated and distraught Raju now declares that Veeru is solely responsible for whatever happened and that the latter is now his mortal enemy.
With these new developments, the duo has their territories marked. They come to an uneasy and unwritten truce: no one will kill a living soul from the other's territory, but anybody entering the other person's territory will be doing so at their own peril. Chuniya, kin of Raju, sees an opportunity to leech off the money of Rajeshwar by keeping the two sides at war. Chuniya has Veer's son Vishal killed, making the latter believe that Rajeshwar will stop at nothing to eliminate Veer.


With these new developments, the duo has their territories marked. They come to an uneasy and unwritten truce: no one will kill a living soul from the other's territory, but anybody entering the other person's territory will be doing so at their own peril. Chuniya, kin of Raja, sees an opportunity to leech off the money of Rajeshwar by keeping the two sides at war. Chuniya has Veer's son Vishal killed, making the latter believe that Rajeshwar will stop at nothing to eliminate Veer.
Over the years, the tension escalates. The clashes between the former friends becomes a headache for the Commissioner. Mandhari, who is now revealed to be a beggar and part of the story, happens to be one of the lucky few who do not have any fear of death from either side. Mandhari claims to the Commissioner that the day he finds out a solution to the problem, he will dance on one leg.


Over the years, the tension escalates. The clashes between the former friends become a headache for the Commissioner. Mandhari, who is now revealed to be a beggar and part of the story, happens to be one of the lucky few who do not have any fear of death from either side. Mandhari claims to the Commissioner that the day he finds out a solution to the problem, he will dance on one leg.
Here, Rajeshwar's granddaughter Radha and Veer's grandson Vasu meet each other. Radha and Vasu are unaware of the enmity and fall in love. When Mandhari finds out about this, he happily completes his pledge to himself and reveals the truth to the lovers. However, Chuniya decides to stoke the fires once again, which he does by abducting, raping and killing a girl named Amla from Veer's territory. Because Rajeshwar's grandson, Kunal, had secretly married and impregnated Amla, the tensions arise further between the two clans.


Here, Rajeshwar's granddaughter Radha and Veer's grandson Vasu meet each other. Radha and Vasu are unaware of the enmity and fall in love. When Mandhari finds about this, he happily completes his pledge to himself and reveals the truth to the lovers. Then, he reveals his plans to end the enmity, according to which Radha will infiltrate Veer's home, while Vasu will infiltrate Rajeshwar's. The lovers succeed in doing so and try to make the old friends see reason. Aarti, Vishal's widow, learns the true identity of Radha but keeps quiet.
Mandhaari reveals his plans to end their grandfathers' enmity, according to which Radha will infiltrate Veer's home, while Vasu will infiltrate Rajeshwar's. The lovers succeed in doing so and try to make the old friends see reason. Aarti, Vishal's widow, learns the true identity of Radha but keeps quiet.


Meanwhile, Chuniya has completely infiltrated Rajeshwar's bastion. He starts making murky deals with shady parties who are interested in acquiring the whole region. He decides to stoke the fires once again, which he does by abducting, raping and killing a girl named Amla from Veeru's territory. Chuniya's machination works, exposing the lovers as well. Radha and Vasu's pleas fall on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, Chuniya has completely infiltrated Rajeshwar's bastion. He starts making murky deals with shady parties who are interested in acquiring the whole region. Chuniya exposes the lovers as well. Radha and Vasu's pleas fall on deaf ears. However, Chuniya's luck does not last long. The people with whom Chuniya had dealt with attack Rajeshwar, exposing Chuniya's real face. A distraught Rajeshwar and a sympathetic Veer finally sort out their enmity of decades. Here, Chuniya grows desperate and has Radha and Vasu captured, and Radha's uncle Deven killed.


However, Chuniya's luck doesn't last long. The people with whom Chuniya had dealt with attack Rajeshwar, exposing Chuniya's real face. A distraught Rajeshwar and a sympathetic Veer finally sort out their enmity of decades. Here, Chuniya grows desperate and has Radha and Vasu captured. The people from both sides unite to fight against Chuniya.
The people from both sides unite to fight against Chuniya; Veeru and Raju's surviving sons, Gagan and Gajja, respectively, are killed in the fight. Soon, Radha and Vasu are saved, but are unaware of the fact that their grandfathers have reconciled. Veeru and Raju kill Chuniya but get fatally wounded themselves. As the friends die in each other's arms, the final chapter on this friendship and enmity is closed.


Soon, Radha and Vasu are saved, but they are unaware of the fact that their grandfathers have reconciled. Raju and Veeru kill Chuniya but get fatally wounded themselves. As the friends die in each other's arms, the final chapter on this friendship and enmity is closed. The story cuts to the present, revealing that Radha and Vasu got married and they formed a trust in the name of their grandparents, which is taking the care of the education of the children Mandhari is retelling the story too. Radha and Vasu inaugurate the school as Aarti looks on.
The story cuts to the present, revealing that Radha and Vasu got married and they formed a trust in the name of their grandparents, which takes care of the education of the children Mandhari is retelling the story to. Radha and Vasu inaugurate the school as Aarti looks on.


==Cast==
==Cast==
 
*[[Dilip Kumar]] as Veer Singh ("Dada Veer"/"Veeru")
*[[Dilip Kumar]]... Veer Singh aka Veeru
*[[Raaj Kumar]] as Thakur Rajeshwar Singh ("Dada Thakur"/"Raju")
*[[Raaj Kumar]]... Rajeshwar Singh aka Raju
* [[Jackie Shroff]] as Vishal Singh, Veer's elder son (special appearance)
*[[Mukesh Khanna]]... Gagan Singh
*[[Manisha Koirala]] as Radha Singh Thakur
*[[Manisha Koirala]]... Radha
*[[Vivek Mushran]] as Vasudev Singh ("Vasu"/"Krishna")
*[[Vivek Mushran]]... Vasu
*[[Deepti Naval]] as Aarti Singh, Vishal's wife
* Ved Thappar... Young Rajeshwar Singh
*[[Amrish Puri]] as Chuniya Chand Chaukhan
* Rubina Khan... Palikanta (Rajeshwar's Sister)
*[[Anupam Kher]] as Mandhaari
* Malvika Tiwari... Rajeshwar's wife
*[[Gulshan Grover]] as Baliram
*[[Amrish Puri]]... Chuniya Chand Chaukhan aka Chuniya Mama
*[[Dalip Tahil]] as Gajendra Singh Thakur ("Gajja"), Rajeshwar's son, and Radha and Kunal's father
*[[Zahid Ali]]... Young Veer Singh
* Anand Balraj as Devendra Singh Thakur ("Deven"), Rajeshwar's son
*[[Anupam Kher]]... Mandhaari
*[[Dina Pathak]] as Veer's sister
*[[Gulshan Grover]]... Baliram
* Zahid Ali as Young Veer Singh
*[[Dalip Tahil]]... Gajendra
* Ved Thappar as Young Rajeshwar Singh
* Anand Balraj... Monty aka Apna Bachdaa
* Rubina Khan as Palikanta Singh Thakur, Rajeshwar's sister
*[[Jackie Shroff]]... Vishal Singh(Special appearance)
* Malvika Tiwari as Rajeshwar's wife
*[[Deepti Naval]]... Aarti (Vishal's Wife)
*Abhinav Chaturvedi as Kunal Singh Thakur, Radha's brother
*[[Dina Pathak]]... Veeru's Sister
*[[Pallavi Joshi]] as Amla Singh Thakur, Kunal's wife
*[[Pallavi Joshi]]... Amla
*[[Akash Khurana]] as Police Commissioner
*[[Akash Khurana]]... Police Commissioner
*[[Mukesh Khanna]] as Gagan Singh,  Veer's younger son
*[[Abhinav Chaturvedi]]... Kunal
*[[Archana Puran Singh]] (cameo)
*[[Archana Puran Singh]]... Cameo Role
*[[Shubha Khote]] (cameo)
*[[Shubha Khote]]... Cameo Role
*[[Govind Namdev]] (cameo)
*[[Govind Namdev]]... Cameo Role


==Soundtrack==
==Soundtrack==
Line 86: Line 88:
|
|
| title3  = Imli Ka Boota (Part 2)
| title3  = Imli Ka Boota (Part 2)
| extra3  = [[Sadhana Sargam]], Mohammed Aziz, Udit Narayan
| extra3  = [[Sadhana Sargam]], Mohammed Aziz, [[Udit Narayan]]
| length3  = 04:23
| length3  = 04:23
|
|
| title4  = Saudagar Sauda Kar
| title4  = Saudagar Sauda Kar
| extra4  = Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sukhwinder Singh, Manhar Udhas
| extra4  = [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]], [[Sukhwinder Singh]], [[Manhar Udhas]]
| length4  = 07:54
| length4  = 07:54
|
|
Line 98: Line 100:
|
|
| title6  = Mohabbat Ki Ki
| title6  = Mohabbat Ki Ki
| extra6  = Kavita Krishnamurthy, [[Suresh Wadkar]]
| extra6  = [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]], [[Suresh Wadkar]]
| length6  = 05:33
| length6  = 05:33
|
|
| title7  = Deewane Tere Naam Ke
| title7  = Deewane Tere Naam Ke
| extra7  = Sukhwinder Singh
| extra7  = [[Sukhwinder Singh]]
| length7  = 04:17
| length7  = 04:17
|  
|
| title8  = Teri Yaad Aati Hain
| title8  = Teri Yaad Aati Hain
| extra8  = Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar
| extra8  = [[Lata Mangeshkar]], [[Suresh Wadkar]]
| length8  = 06:41
| length8  = 06:41
|
|
Line 117: Line 119:
! Award
! Award
! Category
! Category
! Recipients and Nominees
! Recipients and nominees
! Results
! Results
|-
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[37th Filmfare Awards]]
| rowspan="9" |[[37th Filmfare Awards]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Subhash Ghai]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Subhash Ghai]]
Line 130: Line 132:
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|[[Dilip Kumar]]
|[[Dilip Kumar]]
|rowspan="5"{{nom}}
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|[[Anupam Kher]]
|[[Anupam Kher]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|[[Filmfare Best Villain Award|Best Villain]]
|[[Filmfare Best Villain Award|Best Villain]]
|[[Amrish Puri]]
|[[Amrish Puri]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut|Best Female Debut]]
|[[Manisha Koirala]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
|[[Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]
|[[Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer-Female]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer|Best Female Playback Singer]]
|[[Kavita Krishnamurthy]] For - saudagar sauda kar
|[[Kavita Krishnamurthy]] for "Saudagar Sauda Kar"
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|[[Filmfare Best Editing Award|Best Editing]]
|[[Filmfare Best Editing Award|Best Editing]]
|[[Waman Bhonsle]], <br> Gurudutt Shirali
|[[Waman Bhonsle]], Gurudutt Shirali
|{{won}}
|{{won}}
|-
|-
Line 157: Line 167:


{{Subhash Ghai}}
{{Subhash Ghai}}
{{Romeo and Juliet}}
{{Romeo and Juliet film adaptations}}


[[Category:1991 films|Saudagar]]
[[Category:1991 films|Saudagar]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1991 Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1990s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1991 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Subhash Ghai]]
[[Category:Films directed by Subhash Ghai]]
[[Category:Films scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]
[[Category:Films scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]
[[Category:Films based on Romeo and Juliet]]
[[Category:Films based on Romeo and Juliet]]
[[Category:Mukta Arts films]]

Latest revision as of 05:36, 4 March 2026


Saudagar
Film poster
Directed bySubhash Ghai
Produced bySubhash Ghai
Written bySachin Bhowmick
Subhash Ghai
Kamlesh Pandey
StarringDilip Kumar
Raaj Kumar
Manisha Koirala
Vivek Mushran
Amrish Puri
Mukesh Khanna
Gulshan Grover
Anupam Kher
Jackie Shroff
Music byLaxmikant–Pyarelal
CinematographyAshok Mehta
Edited byWaman Bhonsle
Gurudutt Shirali
Distributed byMukta Arts
Release date
  • 9 August 1991 (1991-08-09) (India)
Running time
201 min
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Box office15.75 crore (equivalent to 109 crore or US$15 million in 2019)[1]

Saudagar (transl. Merchant) is a 1991 Indian Hindi-language action drama film, directed by Subhash Ghai. It stars Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar, the two acting giants of Hindi cinema in lead roles. It was the second film in which the two actors came together after the 1959 film Paigham. It featured the debut performances of Vivek Mushran and Manisha Koirala, the latter becoming a noted Bollywood actress in later years. Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher, Mukesh Khanna, Dalip Tahil, Gulshan Grover, Dina Pathak, Deepti Naval and Jackie Shroff star in key roles.

The story line is influenced by Romeo and Juliet and Mandhaari's role is parallel to that of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. It was also inspired by the 1985 Pakistani Punjabi movie Haq Mehar.[2]

Saudagar was a silver jubilee hit all over India and the third highest grossing Indian film of 1991.[3][4] It features among the top 10 grossers of the 1990s.[5] Saudagar received eight nominations at the 37th Filmfare Awards, and won two awards including Best Director for Subhash Ghai.[6] It was Dilip Kumar's penultimate film and final box office success.[7]

Plot[edit | edit source]

The movie starts with Mandhari, an old crippled man, telling a story of two friends to some kids. In the story, Rajeshwar Singh, a rich landlord's son, and Veer Singh, a poor farmer's son, become friends. They are naughty kids, calling each other as Raju and Veeru respectively. As the duo grow up, Raju decides to get his sister Palikanta's marriage arranged with Veeru. Neither his sister nor Veeru have any objections to the marriage.

However, as luck would have it, a girl's marriage in town is disrupted due to her in-laws demanding dowry. Veeru steps in to save the face of the girl and her parents by marrying her. While Raju is shocked by this development, his sister, who was secretly in love with Veeru, commits suicide. Devastated and distraught, Raju now declares that Veeru is solely responsible for everything that happened, making him his mortal enemy.

With these new developments, the duo has their territories marked. They come to an uneasy and unwritten truce: no one will kill a living soul from the other's territory, but anybody entering the other person's territory will be doing so at their own peril. Chuniya, kin of Raju, sees an opportunity to leech off the money of Rajeshwar by keeping the two sides at war. Chuniya has Veer's son Vishal killed, making the latter believe that Rajeshwar will stop at nothing to eliminate Veer.

Over the years, the tension escalates. The clashes between the former friends becomes a headache for the Commissioner. Mandhari, who is now revealed to be a beggar and part of the story, happens to be one of the lucky few who do not have any fear of death from either side. Mandhari claims to the Commissioner that the day he finds out a solution to the problem, he will dance on one leg.

Here, Rajeshwar's granddaughter Radha and Veer's grandson Vasu meet each other. Radha and Vasu are unaware of the enmity and fall in love. When Mandhari finds out about this, he happily completes his pledge to himself and reveals the truth to the lovers. However, Chuniya decides to stoke the fires once again, which he does by abducting, raping and killing a girl named Amla from Veer's territory. Because Rajeshwar's grandson, Kunal, had secretly married and impregnated Amla, the tensions arise further between the two clans.

Mandhaari reveals his plans to end their grandfathers' enmity, according to which Radha will infiltrate Veer's home, while Vasu will infiltrate Rajeshwar's. The lovers succeed in doing so and try to make the old friends see reason. Aarti, Vishal's widow, learns the true identity of Radha but keeps quiet.

Meanwhile, Chuniya has completely infiltrated Rajeshwar's bastion. He starts making murky deals with shady parties who are interested in acquiring the whole region. Chuniya exposes the lovers as well. Radha and Vasu's pleas fall on deaf ears. However, Chuniya's luck does not last long. The people with whom Chuniya had dealt with attack Rajeshwar, exposing Chuniya's real face. A distraught Rajeshwar and a sympathetic Veer finally sort out their enmity of decades. Here, Chuniya grows desperate and has Radha and Vasu captured, and Radha's uncle Deven killed.

The people from both sides unite to fight against Chuniya; Veeru and Raju's surviving sons, Gagan and Gajja, respectively, are killed in the fight. Soon, Radha and Vasu are saved, but are unaware of the fact that their grandfathers have reconciled. Veeru and Raju kill Chuniya but get fatally wounded themselves. As the friends die in each other's arms, the final chapter on this friendship and enmity is closed.

The story cuts to the present, revealing that Radha and Vasu got married and they formed a trust in the name of their grandparents, which takes care of the education of the children Mandhari is retelling the story to. Radha and Vasu inaugurate the school as Aarti looks on.

Cast[edit | edit source]

Soundtrack[edit | edit source]

The music for the film was composed by the legendary duo of Laxmikant–Pyarelal, and the lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi.

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Ilu Ilu"Kavita Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh, Manhar Udhas10:04
2."Imli Ka Boota (Part 1)"Mohammed Aziz, Sudesh Bhosle05:01
3."Imli Ka Boota (Part 2)"Sadhana Sargam, Mohammed Aziz, Udit Narayan04:23
4."Saudagar Sauda Kar"Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sukhwinder Singh, Manhar Udhas07:54
5."Radha Nachegi"Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Aziz06:50
6."Mohabbat Ki Ki"Kavita Krishnamurthy, Suresh Wadkar05:33
7."Deewane Tere Naam Ke"Sukhwinder Singh04:17
8."Teri Yaad Aati Hain"Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar06:41
Total length:50:43

Awards[edit | edit source]

Award Category Recipients and nominees Results
37th Filmfare Awards Best Film Subhash Ghai Nominated
Best Director Won
Best Actor Dilip Kumar Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Anupam Kher Nominated
Best Villain Amrish Puri Nominated
Best Female Debut Manisha Koirala Nominated
Best Music Director Laxmikant–Pyarelal Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer Kavita Krishnamurthy for "Saudagar Sauda Kar" Nominated
Best Editing Waman Bhonsle, Gurudutt Shirali Won

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Boxofficeindia.com". Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  2. Vijayakar, Rajiv (30 October 2019). "Bala Vs Ujda Chaman: 'Hair'-raising facts about cinematic 'humshakals'". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 6 January 2025.
  3. "The Top Actor Of 2020 - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  4. "BoxOfficeIndia.Com-The complete hindi film box office site". 16 February 2007. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  5. "BoxOfficeIndia.Com-The complete hindi film box office site". 8 April 2006. Archived from the original on 8 April 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  6. "Mukta Arts". Mukta Arts. Retrieved 16 July 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. "Saudagar". The Hindu. 4 July 2002. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.

External links[edit | edit source]

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