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Awara Baap
Awara Baap
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Awara Baap
poster
Directed bySohanlal Kanwar
Written byRam Kelkar
Produced bySohanlal Kanwar
StarringRajesh Khanna
Meenakshi Seshadri
Rajan Sippy
Madhuri Dixit
Om Prakash
Music byR. D. Burman
Release date
  • 29 November 1985 (1985-11-29)
[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Awara Baap is a 1985 Bollywood film starring Rajesh Khanna in the title role, directed and produced by Sohanlal Kanwar.

Plot

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Raj is the only son of the rich man Seth Gopal Das. His childhood and teenage years were very lonely as his mother died when he was a child. He starts drinking in his adulthood and also gradually distances himself from his father. Raj starts living in a palatial bungalow in the same city as his father and occasionally comes to the main bungalow where Seth Gopal Das lives. On a trip to a snowy mountain, Raj meets a girl named Rupa. He protects Rupa from entering into the flesh trade. Then he decides to drop her off at her home, but due to the bad condition of the roads, he is forced to stay in a cottage with her. As the weather becomes cold, Raj develops shivering, and to protect him, Rupa decides to blow air from her mouth into his and embrace him. By doing this, she manages to revive him. In the morning, Raj says she should not have done such a thing for his well-being in the night. Rupa says she was grateful to him as he had saved her from being forced to sell her body, so she didn't mind doing what she eventually did. Hearing this, Raj becomes happy and inquires who she lives with; she says she is alone in that area as she has to send money to her dad in a distant village. Raj asks her whether she would like to stay with him, and then she agrees to join him. Also, while being in love with Raj, Rupa makes him a promise that he won't take to drinking with her in his life. After he reaches his home, he gets to meet Bihari, who has come on his father's orders, to take him to his father's residence, as some guests are going to arrive. Raj agrees to come in the evening for dinner and there he notices that his father has fixed his engagement with another girl. Raj learns that Gopal Das fixed his marriage with the daughter of Jamuna Das, to get a huge amount in the form of a dowry for his son's wedding and he is in dire need of money, due to an incident in which one of his ships, not covered by insurance, sank. Raj disagrees to marry Jamuna Das' daughter. Bihari discloses to Gopal Das that the reason for Raj's refusing to marry the girl of his choice is because Raj has brought a girl to his house and is interested in marrying her. Gopal Das decides to meet Rupa personally and tells her about the financial problem he is in. He explains how Raj's marriage with the girl of his choice would help both him and Raj. Gopal asks Rupa whether she is not more concerned about Raj's welfare, and if she is, then she should not marry him and convince him to marry the other girl.

Rupa convinces Raj to get married, and then, after the wedding, commits suicide. Raj becomes disillusioned but hides the facts about Rupa from his wife. He is sad and angry at his father for doing all this. But keeping with the promise he gave to Rupa, he has a good married life with his wife. His wife soon becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy. Due to birth complications, she died. Now Raj takes to drinking. Raj also arranges for a statue to be built in memory of Rupa in his bungalow and shifts to the residence of his dad permanently. Gopal, fed up with Raj's drinking behaviour sends the little baby boy to abroad for his schooling and college.

18 years pass by. Raj has started drinking heavily. Meanwhile, one dark night, accidentally due to heavy rains, a girl comes to Raj's residential home for help to stay in his house for one day. Raj observes the girl and realises that she looks the same as Rupa. She calls herself Deepa, and Raj allows her to stay in his house for the night. Deepa leaves his home early in the morning, forgetting her purse. Raj goes to the address mentioned on her card available in the purse, to return it to her. Deepa is a club dancer and earns by performing in that hotel. Raj starts frequenting the hotel more often. This news spreads and reaches Gopal. Although 18 years have passed since Rupa's death, Raj has still not forgiven his father. So Bihari suggests to Gopal that Deepa, being a lookalike of Rupa, should be married off to Raj. So Gopal, to resurrect Raj's boring, lonely life, ask Deepa her consent. But even before he could enter her room, he overhears a conversation between Deepa and her friend about how she has fooled Raj and how Raj has become a frequent visitor to Deepa. After hearing this, he becomes reluctant to marry off Raj to Deepa. But the same day, Gopal dies a sudden death.

Within a few days, Raj's son Vijay returns to India and joins his family business of shipping. Vijay falls in love with Barkha on a business trip to Kashmir. Vijay decides that in the future, he will marry Barkha only. But on realising that his dad is very sad and on learning that Raj is in love with Deepa, Vijay decides to declare a marriage between Deepa and his father, Raj. Deepa agrees to marry Raj only on the condition that she would be declared the owner of all assets of Gopaldas and Vijay's share would be transferred to her. Vijay prefers to think more about his dad's well-being and decides not to claim any right to property in the future. Then the marriage of Raj and Deepa takes place. Deepa starts behaving indifferently with Raj and causes many embarrassing situations for Raj. When Raj questions her as to why she is behaving indecently in the house since the time they were married to each other, Deepa says that Raj has no authority to question her. After a few months, she becomes pregnant and starts pressuring Vijay and tells him that she would not continue with Raj and bring a bad name for the family if Vijay marries off anyone and tries to become a father himself.

Reception

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The expectations from the film were high as the director's previous film with Khanna - Paapi Pet Ka Sawaal Hai was a box office hit. But Awara Baap, was not successful film at the box office. The music became popular

Cast

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Music

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  • "Awara Baap Hoon" - Kishore Kumar
  • "Awara Baap Hoon" (part 2) - Kishore Kumar
  • "Jamuna Ke Jal Mein" - Kishore Kumar
  • "Teri Umar Pachaas" - Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar
  • "Na Hoti Dosti Tumse" - Anuradha Paudwal, Suresh Wadkar
  • "Dil Ke Dushman Pe" - Asha Bhosle
  • "Kori Kori Gagarsi Jawani" - Asha Bhosle
  • "Umar Sari Humari" - Amit Kumar, Asha Bhosle

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Awara Baap is a Indian Hindi-language drama film directed and produced by Sohanlal Kanwar, featuring in the titular role as a wealthy navigating , loss, and family responsibilities. The narrative centers on Raj, who falls in love with Rupa but is compelled by circumstances to marry Jamuna; following Jamuna's death during , Raj encounters Deepa, a woman who strikingly resembles Rupa, leading to emotional and relational complexities. The film stars Rajesh Khanna alongside Meenakshi Sheshadri as the female lead and Madhuri Dixit in a supporting role, with additional cast including Rajan Sippy. Composed by the renowned R. D. Burman, the soundtrack includes notable tracks such as the title song "Awara Baap Hoon" sung by Kishore Kumar, contributing to the film's emotional depth through its melodic score. Released on 27 December 1985, Awara Baap explores themes of paternal duty, romance, and societal pressures typical of mid-1980s Bollywood cinema, though it was a commercial flop and holds an IMDb user rating of 5.2 out of 10 based on 106 votes.

Production

Development and writing

The film Awara Baap was produced and directed by Sohanlal Kanwar, marking another project in his career following earlier works like Pehchan (1970) and Dhanwan (1981). The screenplay, credited to Ram Kelkar, formed the foundation of the story, while contributed the dialogue, drawing on his reputation for crafting emotionally charged exchanges in . Kanwar's vision for the project positioned it as a starring vehicle for , whose superstar status had waned after the mid-1970s but saw revival efforts in the 1980s through films like (1983) and (1984). The pre-production phase culminated in script finalization around 1984, allowing the film to enter production ahead of its 1985 release.

Casting and filming

Rajesh Khanna was cast in the lead role of Raj, the titular awara baap, drawing on his established reputation for portraying complex family patriarchs in Bollywood dramas. Meenakshi Sheshadri played the dual roles of Rupa, Raj's initial love interest, and , her look-alike whom he later encounters, in one of her prominent early assignments after debuting in (1982). This pairing highlighted Sheshadri's rising presence opposite veteran leads, though her major breakthrough came later with (1983). Supporting cast included as Barkha, a role that served as her second film appearance following her debut in (1984), and Rajan Sippy as Vijay, the son central to the family dynamics. Additional key roles were filled by veteran actors such as as Seth Gopal Das and in a supporting capacity, blending seasoned performers with newcomers under director and producer Sohanlal Kanwar's vision. Kanwar, known for prior collaborations with Khanna in Paapi Pet Ka Sawaal Hai (1984), selected this ensemble to balance star power with fresh talent in the genre. Principal photography commenced in 1985. Rajendra Malone handled the visuals, focusing on intimate framing to underscore the emotional turmoil of the narrative, with additional camera work by Rajesh Nath. was overseen by Satprakash Suri, who assembled the footage into a 166-minute runtime, streamlining the family drama's pacing while preserving key dramatic sequences. The shoot allowed for a late 1985 release.

Plot

Raj is the only son of the wealthy Gopal Das. His childhood and teenage years are lonely after his mother's early death. As an adult, Raj begins and distances himself from his father, living in a separate palatial . During a trip to a snowy mountain, Raj meets Rupa, a girl he protects from the flesh trade. Due to bad weather, they stay together in a , where Rupa warms him, leading to their growing affection. Rupa agrees to live with Raj, who promises to stop for her. Back home, Raj's father arranges his engagement to the daughter of Jamuna Das for financial reasons, as the family needs to recover from a business loss. Despite his love for Rupa, Raj is convinced by her to marry the other woman to help his father. Heartbroken, Rupa commits after the wedding. Raj marries Jamuna but keeps Rupa's memory secret. They have a happy marriage until Jamuna dies due to birth complications while delivering their son, Vijay. Devastated, Raj resumes heavy drinking and erects a of Rupa in his . He moves back with his father, who sends young Vijay abroad for . Eighteen years later, Raj's persists. One stormy night, a girl named seeks shelter at the house; she strikingly resembles Rupa. is a club dancer, and Raj, smitten, frequents her performances. After Gopal Das's death, Vijay returns from abroad to join the family shipping business. Learning of his father's infatuation with (revealed to be Rupa's sister), Vijay arranges their , forgoing his inheritance claims for Raj's happiness. agrees on the condition she inherits the family assets. Post-marriage, behaves coldly toward Raj, causing him embarrassment. When confronted, she asserts her authority. Pregnant soon after, pressures Vijay about his own future, threatening family reputation if he pursues marriage and fatherhood. Eventually, learns the truth about Raj's past love for her sister and reconciles with him, leading to family harmony.

Cast

Soundtrack

The music of Awara Baap was composed by , with lyrics penned by M. G. Hashmat. The soundtrack album consists of eight songs and was released on vinyl by in 1985.
No.TitleSinger(s)
1"Dil Ke Dushman Pe Dil Aaya"
2"Na Hoti Dosti Tumse",
3"Teri Umar",
4"Awara Baap Hoon"
5"Kori Kori Gagar Si Jawani"
6"Umar Saari Humari",
7"Jamuna Ke Jal Mein"
8"Awara Baap Hoon" (Sad)

Release and reception

Release

Awara Baap was theatrically released on 29 November 1985 in . Initial screenings took place in major cities like and . Distribution faced challenges, resulting in limited theatrical reach. As of November 2025, the film is available for streaming on .

Critical response

Upon its release in 1985, Awara Baap garnered mixed contemporary reviews from audiences and limited critical commentary. Publications and viewers praised Khanna's emotional depth in portraying the lead role of a struggling , noting his ability to convey and resilience effectively. However, the film's convoluted plot twists and loose threads, particularly in the second half, drew for undermining the emotional payoff. The movie holds an average IMDb user rating of 5.2 out of 10, based on 106 votes, reflecting this divided reception among viewers who appreciated its heartfelt moments but found the storytelling uneven. Strengths highlighted in reviews include the strong musical score composed by , with songs like the title track sung by lauded for their melodic appeal and emotional resonance. Additionally, the performances of in a and in a supporting capacity were noted positively, with Seshadri's versatility and Dixit's budding screen presence adding freshness to the ensemble. The themes of fatherhood and familial sacrifice resonated particularly with family-oriented audiences, providing relatable emotional anchors amid the . Critics and viewers alike pointed to several shortcomings, including an overly melodramatic script that relied on predictable tropes, pacing issues that caused the nearly three-hour runtime to drag, and a haphazard ending that felt rushed and unsatisfying. Some described the lead character's arc as unrelatable and clichéd, contributing to the film's perception as dated in its storytelling approach. In retrospective views since the , Awara Baap has been regarded as an underrated entry in Khanna's , appreciated by fans for its sincere exploration of paternal bonds despite its flaws. It has developed a modest primarily for its memorable songs, though the film did not win any major awards and remains scarce in home media formats.

Box office performance

Awara Baap underperformed commercially, earning a flop according to contemporary metrics. Its release in late , where it faced competition from larger productions, contributed to its modest reception, as did the film's complicated narrative, which failed to attract mass audiences despite the involvement of established stars like . The mixed critical response further limited its market appeal.
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