Salma

Lucknow-based Nawabzada Aslam lives a wealthy lifestyle along with his dad, Bakar, and mom. He writes poems under the pen name of Raj Lakhnavi, and is a close friend of Iqbal. One day he meets and falls in love with Salma Banarsi, a Banaras-based Courtesan. When his parents arrange his marriage with his foreign-returned cousin, Mumtaz, he informs them that he loves Salma and incurs their displeasure so much so that his dad shoots him, and he gets hospitalized. When he recovers fully he is shocked to find that Salma has not only accepted Iqbal as her lover, but has also taken a lot of money and jewelry from his mother. He takes to alcohol in a big way and swears to exact vengeance against Salma by getting married to Mumtaz and forcing Salma to sing and dance at his wedding.

Directed by Ramanand Sagar, Salma leans on a strong ensemble — Raj Babbar, Salma Agha, Farooq Shaikh — 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 1985.