The iconic romantic lead of the 1940s, Ashok Kumar, stars in this classic Muslim Social melodrama rendered in expressionist style. Poetic young doctor Yusuf falls for Najma, but her social status forces her to marry the indolent and decadent Mukarram. Yusuf weds the uneducated and jealous Raziya but experiences marriage as a prison—only to find his selfless professionalism called upon when Mukarram goes too far. Mehboob Khan’s film sets the tone for the Muslim Social genre by critiquing feudal values while upholding traditional marriage arrangements in spite of their evident violation of the human heart.