It is a 1968 Hindi film starring Raj Kapoor, Hema Malini, Tanuja and Nadira. It was Hema Malini’s first film. The film was directed by Mahesh Kaul. Hema Malini was introduced in this film and later went on to become better known as Dream Girl. After Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini was the second major actress from the South.
The story of the film starts with the flashback of Thakur Harnaam Singh (Jayant). Eighteen years before, on a Deepavali night, a year-old baby of the Thakur was exchanged by a banjaran. Thakur had a sexual relation with a banjaran, so the banjaran was threatening him to marry her.
A man appears in khaki, red tie and socks (Raj Kapoor – Raju) and promises hope and dreams to the suffering people of Anandpur. He falls in love with a banjaran girl (Hema Malini – Mahi). Thakur mistreats Ranjana (Tanuja), daughter of a banjaran. He promises to marry her. On the other hand, Mahi feels she has been made pregnant by Raju. The village panchayat orders Raju to marry her. But Raju refuses. Thakur orders the villagers to beat Raju and Mahi. Suddenly, a banjaran intervenes and tells the truth.
The film was a box office failure. Raj Kapoor said – it is bad direction. But it is not so. Sometimes people have bad perception. There is nothing wrong with Sapno Ka Saudagar. One example is Amrapali of Sunil Dutt and Vyjayanthimala. Vyjayanthimala said that it was her best performance. But people did not like it. It was also a box office failure. Most of the cinegoers are unthinking people. The case is similar with Sapno Ka Saudagar. But Hema Malini had a charm. Someone has said – charm is bloom on a woman. If you have it, you need not have anything else. If you have not it, it does not matter what anything else you have.
Hema Malini’s charm enthralled the audience. God has made every being as a unique being. Everybody has pros and cons, plus and minus. Everybody has his/her own limitations. We show our talent in our own way.
The statement of Raj Kapoor is also unfortunate. His words also cannot be final. He himself was a Sapno Ka Saudagar – the merchant of dreams. Hindi filmdom was his dream his entire life and this film epitomises that. Raj Kapoor was a great showman. The show must go on.
Frankly speaking, Hindi film world is a bizarre world. One cannot predict what will happen. Here what is wisdom and what is folly is never decided. You may have it, as you like it.
This is the indication of Maya Nagari – Bombay, now Mumbai.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own.)
Radhakanta Seth is a Former Income tax officer in Sambalpur. He is a Freelance writer and his articles have been published in some Oriya dailies like Sambad, Samaj, Dharitri and English dailies like The Telegraph and in a sociological journal ‘Folklore’ published from Kolkata.
(Photo has collected from net )