And thereby the path to survival is revealed. With hope comes the death of ego, with realisation of one's sins comes the road to redemption. Had he not done what he did, we would not have got an ending that reminds us that there is hope at the end of every bleak road. Had he not married Mahjubin, he would have become such a villain in our eyes for dumping Mahjubin so heartlessly.

Had Moti not seen Phool and fallen instantly in love with her, he would not have had to marry Mahjubin. This is a fantastic take about three humans whose lives are intertwined by a twist of fate. The question is, will Moti again be able to earn the respect of the town as the best jaggery seller? Will relations be severed between his wife and him forever now? He instantly starts comparing Phool with Mahjubin, a woman who really wanted Moti to prosper in his trade. It is only his frustration that makes him a beast here. He even beats up his darling wife when she neglects the boiling juice in order to deck up (though she sings a lovely Sajna hain mujhey). Slighted for not being good at making jaggery, she even recommends that Moti switches trades as the date juice is causing untoward tension in their domestic life. She is more deft at decking up and being carefree rather than helping him in his trade, something that is both their source of sustenance. But the honeymoon period is soon over when Moti discovers that Phool's jaggery making expertise is hardly as sweet as her face and nature. They sing songs together ( Kyun laye saiyya paan by Asha Bhonsle is such a catchy song) and revel in each other's company. Moti and his wife are head-over-heels in love and frolic like every newly-wed. Winter departs for the rest of the village but this is just the start of the season for Mahjubin. In fact, the moment spring sets in, it will be all over for this woman who did no wrong but fell in love with the wrong man. In Mahjubin s halcyon moments there is a sense of foreboding from the knowledge that this happiness will be shortlived. When she sings, Tera mera saath (very different music from Ravindra Jain), wonderfully sung by Lata Mangeshkar, she is actually praying for her togetherness with Moti, little knowing that the future holds bad news for the relationship.

But while Moti is doing all this with an ulterior motive, Mahjubin has actually fallen in love with her man. Mahjubin too, a helplessly lonely woman falls into the trap and agrees to marry Moti. With a sheepish face he goes over to Mahjubin's and feigns love and loneliness during the long winter nights. Moti falls in love with his selfish plan, simply because it is the only route to achieving what his heart wants-Phool Banu. He tells Moti to marry Mahjubin so that he would not have to pay her the jaggery-making wages and he would earn extra by making thsi wife word harder to make more jaggery. At last, one moneylender plants an idea in his lovesick head. He goes to various moneylenders to borrow the sum but they disappoint him. He is told that her name is Phool Banu (Padma Khanna) but her father tells him that he would only marry her to a man who would pay a 'meher' of Rs 500, a sum too huge for Moti's standard.

One day, while returning from the market, he sees a young girl and follows her to her home in the neighbouring village. Moti, a young lad, also wants to settle down and is in talks with a matchmaker for a suitable bride who would be his for a paltry 'meher' (a sum that the groom has to deposit with the bride's family). Her handiwork with the sweet is so good that Moti's ware sells off in a flash every market day during the season. He has a pact with an older woman in the same village called Mahjubin (Nutan), who makes the jaggery for him.

Moti (Bachchan) is famous in his village for selling the best date jaggery.

Saudagar movie