Maryada (film)

Plot

The story of the film revolves around twin girls born in a poor household in a remote village hamlet. Scared with the prospect of raising two girls, the beleaguered parents hand over one girl to their close confidante and friend with a promise that he would rear her as her own. One of the girls, Laxmi, who grows up with her foster father falls in love with Raja Babu (Raaj Kumar), a wealthy estate owner with properties in Bombay and Coorg. However, the match is not approved by Raja Babu’s father, Bade Thakur, leading to a prolonged estrangement between the two. Meanwhile, Raja Babu and Laxmi tie the knot in the village temple and are living a happy life when Bade Thakur solicits the service of his nephew, Pran Bahadur (Pran). Pran successfully uses his devious machinations to wean away Raja Bahadur and Laxmi, making them believe that the other is dead.

Meanwhile, Lalitha (Mala Sinha) is spurned by her would be husband and his family as they are unable to meet their dowry demand due to the ruthless attitude of Bade Bahadur who refuses to lend a measly amount to his faithful employee. Matters are made worse when a conman and convict, Diwan (Abhi Bhattacharya, in a rare negative appearance) dupes Lalitha. Her father is not able to bear the trauma and succumbs. An enraged Lalitha decides to overcome her poverty by becoming a dancer. Lalitha meets Rajan (Rajesh Khanna), an unemployed youth who has found favour with Raja Bahadur. Raja Bahadur makes Rajan take his place embarking in a search for Laxmi.

From here on the mistaken identities lead to the usual misunderstanding resulting in kidnappings and action. However, the denouement is quite predictable for a film with a happy ending.

Cast

Songs

The film score is composed by the musical duo Kalyanji–Anandji. The lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi.