indian cinema heritage foundation

Khazanchi (1958)

  • LanguageHindi
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"Honesty is the greatest of all virtues" was the motto of old Khazanchi, in appreciation of which the Northern India Bank had presented him with a gold watch. He wished to hand it over to his son, Harish, aspiring to be a lawyer, so as to be a beacon to guide him along the path of honesty.
Harsh and Geeta were the light of Khazanchi's eyes, whose pranks and frivolities brought warmth and sunshine to his lonely life. Geeta was innocent of life's storms, while Harish fell a victim to its upheavals. Accidently two brought together Harish and Usha - the romantic victims of cupid's arrow. This union was resented by Loku, the nephew of Usha's stepmother, Ichchapuran Devi. He wanted to snare Usha in his nest with a greedy eye on the wealth of Usha's father, R.B. Devichand; but the searching eyes of the father had his mind fixed on Harish as his would be son-in-law.
But destiny stepped in as if for Loku's benefit. Official business took Kazanchi to Bombay with the Bank's cash of Rs. 95,000/-. Loku pulled the strings and poor Khazanchi was not only deprived of the Cash but accused of two gruesome murders. Khazanchi dreading the humiliations hid himself from the world. The news flashed and in its wake brought stigma to the fair name of Khazanchi's family.
Loku grasping the opportunity played his trump and succeeded in winning his engagement to Usha. On the other hand breakage of Geeta's engagement cast a gloom over her and Harish's lives. Time rolled on. The fugitive, Khazanchi, forlorn and forgotten wandered from place to place until one day the affection of his children dragged him to his own doors. Harish taking him to be a beggar gave him alms and asked for a prayer to ease his sister's sufferings. Khazanchi's heart trembled with compassion and had hardly held unconscious Geeta to his heart when Harish returning took him to be a thief and kicked him out threatening jail if found again in the locality. Khazanchi's heart bled at the cruel fate. He resolved to go to the Bank, reveal his identity and prove his innocence when fate offered him a ray of hope. He spotted Mathur an accomplice of Loku, carrying same bag that once contained Rs. 95,000/-. Khazanchi followed Mathur into Loku's bungalow where he was implicated in a third murder.
The irony of the fate saw the ruthless legal fury of his own lawyer son, pitted against the father-labeled a thief and a murderer. The son mustering all his wits to send his father to gallows......
See the thrilling climax on the screen.
 

(From the official press booklets)