Saudagar

Moti is a merchant who sells jaggery in the market, with the help of an older woman, Mahjubhi, who makes exemplary jaggery. He is in love with a village girl, but cannot afford to pay the dowry/marriage expenses to her father. So he decides to marry Mahjubhi, while secretly harbouring the dream of saving enough money for dowry and marrying the village girl. After marrying Majubhi, Moti extracts a lot of work from her to this end. He eventually does collect the amount and divorces her, accusing her of infidelity. Shortly after that he marries the village girl, and goes back to his business of selling jaggery, but faces the consequence of losing Mahjubhi's jaggery.

Directed by Sudhendu Roy, Saudagar leans on a strong ensemble — Amitabh Bachchan, Padma Khanna, Leela Mishra — 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 1973.