Kabuliwala

Rahmat, a middle-aged fruit seller from Afghanistan, comes to Calcutta to hawk his merchandise and befriends a small Bengali girl called Mini who reminds him of his own daughter back in Afghanistan. One day Rehmat receives news of his daughter’s illness and decides to return to Afghanistan. But before he goes a violent fight with a customer leads to Rehmat killing him. He gets out of prison ten years later. Based on a Rabindranath Tagore story.

Directed by Tapan Sinha, Kabuliwala leans on a strong ensemble — Chhabi Biswas, Oindrila Tagore, Radhamohan Bhattacharya — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1957.