Kabuliwala (1957)

• 79%
• 1957
• Drama
• Tapan Sinha
• Chhabi Biswas
• Oindrila Tagore
• Radhamohan Bhattacharya

Rahmat (Chhabi Biswas),a middle-aged fruit seller from Afghanistan, comes to Calcutta to hawk his merchandise and befriends a small Bengali girl called Mini (Oindrila Tagore aka Tinku Tagore) who reminds him of his own daughter back in Afghanistan. He puts up at a boarding house along with his countrymen. One day Rehmat receives news of his daughter's illness through a letter from his country and he decides to leave for his country. Since he is short of money he decides to sell his goods on credit for increasing his business. Later, when he goes to collect on his money, one of his customers abuses him and in the fight that ensues Rehmat warns that he will not tolerate abuse and stabs the guy when he does not stop the abuse. In the court Rehmat's lawyer tries to obfuscate the facts but in his characteristic and simple fashion Rehmat states the truth in a matter of fact way. The judge, pleased with Rehmat's honesty, gives him 10 years rigorous imprisonment instead of the death sentence. On the day of his release he goes to meet Mini but discovers that she has grown up into a 14-year old girl and is about to get married. Mini does not recognize Rehmat, who realizes that his own daughter must have forgotten him too. Mini's father gives Rehmat the money for travel out of Mini's wedding budget to which Mini agrees; she also sends a gift for Rehmat's daughter.