indian cinema heritage foundation

Aaram (1951)

  • Release Date1951
  • GenreRomance
  • FormatB-W
  • LanguageHindi
  • Length3838.04 meters
  • Number of Reels14
  • Gauge35 mm
  • Censor RatingU
  • Censor Certificate NumberB-1128
  • Certificate Date06/04/1951
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Shyam is a struggling artist trying to make ends meet in the city. One night when returning home he finds a woman following him. When questioned she says she has neither a home nor any particular destination. Shyam intends to leave it at that but it starts raining heavily. He invites the woman to stay the night at his place. He finds out her name is Leela. Next morning his friend Chamanlal arrives and decides to take them both out. Chamanlal is an expert in conning people into paying for things. While he is treating them to a grand day out, Shyam and Leela find themselves drawn to each other. Chamanlal’s luck finally runs out at an expensive restaurant, but an aristocratic woman sitting nearby helpfully pays their bills.

One day when Shyam is out, Leela meets the same aristocratic woman and is invited to her home. The woman is Rani Maa who lives with her son Kumar after her husband passed away. She is worried about her son as he is depressive and unsure of what he wants in life. Kumar is instantly enamoured with Leela when they meet, but Leela does not realise this. She and Shyam confess their feelings for each other and wish to get married. Shyam wants to enter a prestigious painting completion but does not have the means to apply. Leela requests Rani Maa’s help in sending Shyam’s painting to the competition. Kumar purchases a painting Shyam has made of Leela from her. When Kumar learns of Leela’s love for Shyam he is heartbroken. Rani Maa too is deeply hurt thinking Leela has misled her son. Kumar convinces Rani Maa to throw an exhibition for Shyam’s paintings in the hope that this will win over Leela. The exhibition is a great success and their pictures are published in the paper. Here the story takes a dark twist.

One of Leela’s former suitors recognises her from the picture in the paper. This suitor, a thug named Bhagwan, has Leela kidnapped on the day she is supposed to marry Shyam. He imprisons her and tries to intimidate her into marrying him. When Shyam learns of the kidnapping he thinks he is being deceived by Rani Maa. But when he discovers that Kumar was injured trying to prevent the kidnapping, he regrets his outburst. Rani Maa gradually comes to love Shyam like a son. Bhagwan allows Leela to meet Shyam for five minutes in a café to say her farewells. A fight breaks out between the two and in the struggle Kumar is fatally injured. As they reach Rani Maa’s house to take her blessings, Kumar collapses. He passes away holding Leela’s blood stained portrait in his hand, having made the ultimate sacrifice for his love.   

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