Kunwara Baap

Story:

Kunwara Baap is a 1974 Hindi film produced by Amarlal Chabria and directed by and starring Mehmood. The film also stars Bharathi, and Vinod Mehra. Based on Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid (1921),it is a film with a serious message about polio vaccination. However, Mehmood did some comedy scenes in the film to earn a Filmfare nomination as Best Comic, the only nomination for the film. Rajesh Roshan makes his debut as a film composer. The hijra song “Saj Rahi Gali” sung by Mohammed Rafi topped the annual Binaca Geet Mala, which was the only countdown show at the time. This film was Tamil actress Manorama’s only film in Hindi, however, her lines consisted of some Tamil.

Plot

Bharathi plays a deserted wife to Vinod Mehra. She abandons her newly born son outside of a temple where he is rescued by a rickshawala (Mehmood). The boy develops polio and the rikshawala feels guilty after a doctor (Sanjeev Kumar) admonishes him. He takes care of the boy Macky Ali and loves him as his own. In the meantime, the boy’s real-life parents reconcile and turn to a police officer (Vinod Khanna) for help in finding their missing son. When they find their child, the rikshawala does not want to give him up. The policeman urges him to do so, as the wealthy parents can pay for an operation that can help the boy walk again. He does so sorrowfully. But the boy comes back with his parents to see the rikshawala die. The film ends with Mehmood, the actor, getting up and explaining to the audience that his death was for the camera, but polio is real and deadly and that people should get their children vaccinated. The Sports Day, a major scene in the movie, is shot in Bishop Cotton Boys’ School

Mehmood made the film Kunwara Baap, to raise awareness of polio, which had affected his own son, Macky Ali aka Maqdoom Ali. Macky was affected by polio since birth and made his debut starring in the film. Kunwara Baap had special appearances from actors Mumtaz Ali (Mehmood’s father), Sanjeev Kumar, Vinod Mehra, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Dara Singh, Lalita Pawar, Yogita Bali and Mukri. It was also the debut film performance for music composer Rajesh Roshan.