The film is set in post-independence India, where industrialisation is slowly creeping in. The focus is on tongawallahs who earn their living transporting people on tongas. Their livelihood is threatened when the son of a rich landlord begins operating a bus service in the town, which he subsidises heavily with the sole intention of first driving the tongawallahs out of the town and then making a profit. Dilip Kumar plays one of the tongawallahs, who petitions the landlord over this injustice. Jeevan's character proposes a competition to decide which service is the best: the bus or the tonga. It is decided that there will be a race between the vehicles. If the bus wins, the tongawallahs will not complain further. If the Tonga wins, the bus service will stop. This competition was a farce from the start, since nobody could dream that a horse cart could beat a machine. Kumar, however, accepts the challenge to everybody's surprise. His logic is that they would be driven to starvation if the bus service continues. This race at least gives them an opportunity to try to do something. The rest of the tongawallahs do not share his hope. They blame him for his foolishness. In the end, he is left alone with nobody's support except his sweetheart, played by Vyjayanthimala. As the movie unfolds, a hopeless situation begins to turn around because of the way the peoplecome together. Mishap after mishap occurs, but nothing can deter the determined. The highlight of the film is definitely the heart-stopping final race where the underdog wins.
Kumkum as Dancer In Song "Reshmi Salwaar Kurta Jaali Ka"
Minoo Mumtaz as Dancer In Song "Reshmi Salwaar Kurta Jaali Ka"
Production
During filming, the Naya Daur production was involved in a highly controversial and widely publicised court case. Initially, the actress Madhubala was cast as the female lead. An advance payment was given to her and shooting began and continued smoothly for 15 days. B.R. Chopra, the director, wanted the unit to travel to Bhopal for an extended outdoor shooting. Ataullah Khan, the father of Madhubala, objected to this and claimed that the entire Bhopal schedule was a ruse to give Dilip Kumar the opportunity to romance his daughter. Finally, Chopra sued Madhubala for the cash advance she received from him for a film she now had no intention of completing. He replaced her with the South Indian actress Vyjayanthimala, who acted with Kumar in Devdas. Madhubala obediently supported her father despite her commitment to Dilip Kumar. Kumar testified against Madhubala and Ataullah Khan in favour of B.R. Chopra in open court. The case was lost by Madhubala and her father amid much negative publicity. During the case, the film was released and declared a success. Chopra dropped the case and saved Madhubala from the humiliation of a possible prison sentence.
Critical reception
The Times of India wrote, "A picture with a purposeful and distinctly impressive theme Naya Daur from almost the beginning to the end, the picture sparkles with scenes and sequences filled with song, dance and revelry, which maintain with fine authenticity the rural atmosphere against the mounting tension of the drama created by the advent of the machine.. Naya Daur remains a brilliant, beautiful and very entertaining picture. Filmfare wrote, "A powerful and vibrantly gripping picture, B. R. Films' Naya Daur is a distinctly successful combination of pertinent social education and moral and top-rate entertainment."
's Academy Award nominated film Lagaan was inspired by Naya Daur.
Re-release
Naya Daur was colourised and re-released in 2007, along with the re-release of another film starring Dilip Kumar, Mughal-e-Azam. However, this re-release failed commercially.
