Saudagar (1973 film)

Saudagar
Directed by	Sudhendu Roy
Written by	Narendranath Mitra (story) Sudhendu Roy (screenplay)
Produced by	Tarachand Barjatya Subhash Ghai
Starring	Nutan Amitabh Bachchan Padma Khanna
Cinematography	Dilip Ranjan Mukhopadhyay
Music by	Ravindra Jain
Release date	1973 (India)
Running time	213 min

Saudagar (Persian and Urdu: ( سوداگر ) translation: Trader) is a 1973 Bollywood film, directed by Sudhendu Roy. It stars Nutan Behl as Mijuben and Amitabh Bachchan as Moti, in the leading roles. It also featured Trilok Kapoor, Padma Khanna as Phoolbanu. Murad, Leela Mishra as (Badi Bhi), Dev Kishan, Jugnu; V. Gopal are also featured in the movie.

This film is not to be confused with another Saudagar (1991 film).

Plot

Moti (Amitabh Bachchan) was a "gur" (unrefined concentrated cane sugar) trader who used to trade the seasonal Gur made of Khajur" (date-nectar). During off season, he saw a girl Phoolbanu, and fell in love with her. Moti approached PhoolBanu's father, who asked for mehar(Dowry) which he did not have. Moti starts saving money for mehar. Mejuben (Nutan) was a widow who was Moti's business associate who used to prepare the Gur for him to sell. Her Gur (and consequently Moti's) was very famous and people always preferred to buy from Moti. Moti gets an idea to save even more for the Meher. He decides to get married to Mejuben so that he does not have to pay her, and hence can save more and sooner. Mejuben, unaware of Moti's ulterior motive, is first surprised by the proposal but latter accepts it. They started living together working very hard to make Gur. At the end of the season, Moti saves enough for the Meher, and divorces Mejuben. This incident shocks Mejuben and people of the community and Mejuben once again becomes alone. Moti meets Phoolbanu's father and ask for the daughter. As per condition her father got the Mehar and he married off her daugheter(Phoolbanu) with Moti. Moti and Phulbanu were happy to start with till the Gur season arrived. The only trade Moti knew was to collect nectar from Date-palms sell Gur made out of them. That was his livelihood, but Phulbanu didn't know to make Gur to save herself! She would make very bad Gur, and his customers would hate the Gur, and his business started plummeting till people stopped buying from his shop. In the mean time, a fish trader(Majhi) asked Mejuben to marry him. He was honest with her to say that he had small children and wanted Mejuben look after them. He always treated her with curtsy. It was almost the end of the Gur season, and Moti had not made good profit that year as Phulbanu was not able to prepare tasty gur. He finally was left with no other option than to request Mejuben to make a few vats of Gur for him to sell. He took two cans of date-nectar and approached Mejuben at her husband's house to request her to make him some Gur to sell. He was followed by Phulbanu who had seen him going somewhere while she was on way to her father's house. At first Mejuben was very angry seeing Moti but on hearing him she understood that he was in a pitiful condition. She also saw Phulbanu who was listening everything from behind a fence. As the eyes of the two ladies met they started weeping and hugged each other. The movie ends with this scene leaving unclear whether Mejuben prepared gur for Moti or not and whether she actually taught Phulbanu how to prepare tasty gur. The second proposition seems plausible as in the end of the film Phulbanu had called Mejuben as 'Apa" which translates to 'sister' which was accepted by Mejuben and it is very possible that the whole issue got resolved and relations between Moti and Mejuben became better though the character changed.

Music

The music for the film was composed by the legendary duo of Ravindra Jain. The trio produced several memorable songs for the movie, notably Sajana hai Mujhe Sajna Ke liye& Kyon Laayo Sainya Paan by Asha Bhosle, Har hansi cheej ka by Kishore Kumar, Door hai kinara by Manna Dey and Tera Mera Saath Rahe by Lata Mangeshakar.

Cast

• Nutan ... Mahjubhi
• Amitabh Bachchan ... Moti
• Trilok Kapoor
• Padma Khanna ... Phoolbanu
• Murad
• Leela Mishra ... Badi Bhi
• Dev Kishan
• Jugnu
• V. Gopal
• C.S. Dubey

External links

• Saudagar at IMDb