Kabuliwala (1957 film)


Kabuliwala is a 1957 Bengali film directed by Tapan Sinha and based on the eponymous 1892 short story by the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.

Plot

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

Cast