indian cinema heritage foundation

Ambri (1983)

  • GenreDrama
  • FormatEastman Colour
  • LanguagePunjabi
  • Run Time140 mins
  • Length3817.74 meters
  • Number of Reels16
  • Gauge35 mm
  • Censor Certificate NumberB-017- Mumbai
  • Certificate Date21/07/1983
  • Shooting LocationPunjab
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Dignity of women is the basis of humanity and will continue to remain so. Dharam Singh (Dharmendra), a dedicated and inspiring teacher, wishes that his students grow spiritually and morally so that they might become true citizens of their country. Married for 12 years, Dharam Singh and his wife Bachni (Rama Vij) have no children. Bachni pleads with Dharam to remarry so that they have a child but Dharam rejects her proposal. He continues to profess his faith in patriotism, upliftment and emancipation of women. 

Sarvan (Bill Sikand) is a student of Dharam Singh’s philosophy. He wants to ameliorate the pathetic conditions of his village. He is in love with the village belle Banto (Girija Mitra) since childhood, which irks the village goons. However, his good deeds for the common villagers make him Sarpanch, replacing the village Chaudhary, Shera (Bharat Kapoor). Shera and Sarvan were good friends once but now they have turned bitter enemies. In his desire for revenge, Shera gets his stooges Amliya (Monto) and Pandit (Mehar Mittal) to take Sarvan to Lachhi (Manju Bhatia)’s whorehouse on the pretext of celebrating his victory.  

Ambri (Madhu Malini) is an innocent, talented girl. She has God-gifted, decent habits and a pure soul. Though brought up in an atmosphere of prostitution, she has risen like a beautiful lotus from the muddy water, spreading her charm and goodness all around. It is her great desire to become a dutiful wife, a good daughter and a respectable mother.However, her foster mother Lachhi wants her to follow their traditional profession of prostitution. The courtesan Ambri entertains Sarvan and party with her beautiful mujra. Shera deviously exploits this visit and defames Sarvan in the whole village.

One day Lachhi takes a large amount of money from a rich man Shahji (Ram Mohan) and allows him to enter Ambri’s room. He starts forcing himself on Ambri but she resists his pleasure-seeking advances with all her might. She also narrates to him her tale of sorrow. This has a moving effect on him. He begs her pardon and promises to shun all bad habits as self-realisation comes to him. Shahji accepts Ambri as his own daughter.

On his birthday, Shera invites Lachhi to host a mujra by Ambri in the village and help him mar Sarvan’s name. It remains to be seen if Ambri, a righteous woman, falls prey to his ill intentions. After the mujra ends, he forces Ambri to insult Sarvan publicly. This leads to a fight among Shera, his goons and Sarvan. Under the circumstances, Sarvan accepts Ambri as his sister and takes her to his house. His blind mother (Uma Khosla) and his fiancée Banto get annoyed with his decision to bring Ambri, a prostitute, into the house. Society and its old traditions come in the way of Ambri fulfilling her dreams. But Sarvan, armed with the strong ideals of his Master, Dharam Singh, stands for truth in the thorny path of the world, fighting for the rights of women. 


 

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