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On This Day

02 Feb, 1917

Cinemazi remembers Fali Mistry on his birth anniversary

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Taqdeer (1967)

A Salaam

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Release Date1967
GenreFamily, Drama
FormatB-W
LanguageHindi
Run Time136 min
Length4183.69 meters
Censor RatingU

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When the wheel of fortune turns, any man’s luck can change in no time at all. Gopal (Bharat Bhushan) was just such a man, whose fortunes turned very suddenly. He was a poor music teacher, and makes his living by teaching children music in a small village in Goa.

Despite their poverty, Gopal and his wife Sharada (Shalini), along with their three beautiful children—Mala, Sushil and Geeta—led an honest an upright life.

Gopal’s greatest wealth was Sharada’s pure, selfless love, and it allowed him to bear all his misfortunes and the vagaries of a life spent in near destitution. Sharada had rejected a proposal of marriage from a wealthy man, Vijay Babu, and chosen to marry Gopal instead, impressed by his compassion, kindness and loving nature.

To improve his financial situation, Gopal accepted a job working on a ship, and thus, left his home. But soon after he left, news reached the village of the ship having sunk—Gopal had disappeared without a trace!

With great fortitude, Sharada tried her best to bear everything life battered her with, but soon, she and the three children came very close to starvation. Tormented, in turmoil, she thought through her options. Finally, she made a brave decision and decided to accept Vijay Babu’s marriage proposal.

Many years pass, and we see an old, bedraggled man living on the shores of East Africa. This is Gopal, but he has lost his memory. He now spends his time playing with children. One day, he hears a very familiar tune. Long ago, he had composed this very tune to be sung by one of his students. On hearing the song, his memories are revived, and he returns to the village in Goa.

However, once he returns, he has to confront many harsh truths. First, he sees that his old house is abandoned and in ruins. He also comes to know that his wife is now married to Vijay Babu. He sees his children, now all grown up, and leading happy lives. This breaks his heart, and he decides to lead a quiet life in some corner without disturbing any of them.

But the wheel of fortune turns yet again. Gopal’s youngest daughter Geeta (Farida Jalal), the child he loved the most, is now a beautiful young woman who befriends him. The poor girl has no clue that this old man is actually her father! On one occasion, Gopal saves Geeta from a goon. One thing leads to another, and soon, Sharada comes to know that the mysterious stranger who has befriended her daughter is none other than Geeta’s own father, Gopal!

Around the same time, Vijay Babu is also apprehended of this situation. Immediately, he decides to remove Gopal from his path. Gopal, at this time, was already a worker in the mines owned by Vijay Babu. Vijay Babu commands him to work in the most dangerous parts of the mine!

What follows next?

To find out the intriguing end to this dramatic tale, see—“Taqdeer”.

(Translated from the official press booklet)