{ "id": "epf6vtkqbt", "slug": "kabuliwala-1961-film", "title": "Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) (1961 film)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema", "label": "Indian films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970", "label": "Hindi films before 1970", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000: Hindi films before 1970", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema", "label": "Indian films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970", "label": "Hindi films before 1970", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) is a 1961 Hindi drama directed by Hemen Gupta, produced by Bimal Roy, adapted from Tagore's 1892 story, starring Balraj Sahni as Afghan dry-fruit seller Abdul Rehman Khan, with music by Salil Choudhury including Manna Dey's \"Aye mere pyare watan\".", "snippet": "Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) is a 1961 Hindi drama directed by Hemen Gupta, produced by Bimal Roy, adapted from Tagore's 1892 story, starring Balraj Sahni as Afghan dry-fruit seller Abdul Rehman Khan, with music by Salil Choudhury including Manna Dey's \"Aye mere pyare watan\".", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-before-1970", "markdown": "# Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) (1961 film)\n\n**Kabuliwala** (काबुलीवाला) is a 1961 Hindi-language drama film directed by Hemen Gupta and produced by [Bimal Roy](https://www.edgepedia.org/bimal-roy), adapted from [Rabindranath Tagore](https://www.edgepedia.org/rabindranath-tagore)'s 1892 short story of the same name. It stars [Balraj Sahni](https://www.edgepedia.org/balraj-sahni) as Abdul Rehman Khan, an Afghan dry-fruit seller in Calcutta who befriends a young girl, Mini, because she reminds him of the daughter he left behind in Kabul.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala) The film was released in India on December 14, 1961, the birth centenary year of Tagore.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) • [3](https://scroll.in/reel/1006317/behind-tapan-sinhas-)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director / producer | Hemen Gupta (director); Bimal Roy (producer), with Leela Desai as associate producer[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpLqJ9xO6mA) |\n| Source | Rabindranath Tagore's 1892 short story \"Kabuliwala\"[5](https://prashnbank.csjmu.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Literature-in-Film-Media-Studies.pdf) |\n| Release | December 14, 1961 (India)[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) |\n| Lead cast | Balraj Sahni (Abdul Rehman Khan), Usha Kiran (Rama, Mini's mother), Baby Sonu (Mini), Sajjan (Mini's father), Asit Sen (Bhola)[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/fullcredits/) |\n| Music | Salil Choudhury; songs include \"Aye mere pyare watan\" (Manna Dey) and \"Ganga aaye kahan se\" (Hemanta Mukherjee)[7](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/kabuliwala) |\n| Reception | IMDb rating 8.0/10 from about 388 user ratings; Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer 83% (fewer than 50 ratings)[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/ratings/) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kabuliwala) |\n| Certification | U (suitable for all ages) in India[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Story\n\nThe film follows Abdul Rehman Khan, a poor Afghan who leaves his family, including his daughter Amina, to earn a living as a dried-fruit vendor in India.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala) Profoundly homesick, he befriends the young girl Mini, the daughter of a Bengali family, and treats her like his own child, plying her with dry fruits and stories of his homeland.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala) • [5](https://prashnbank.csjmu.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Literature-in-Film-Media-Studies.pdf) The locals distrust him and his countrymen, and rumors circulate that the Kabuliwalas kidnap children.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala)\n\nKhan's life turns on a criminal charge: he is accused of murdering a man and is imprisoned.[10](https://pro.shemaroome.com/movies/kabuliwala) After years in jail he returns to find that Mini has grown up and does not recognize him, and he realizes his own daughter must have forgotten him as well.[7](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/kabuliwala) Mini's father gives Khan the money to travel back to Afghanistan out of Mini's wedding budget, to which Mini agrees, and she also sends a gift for Khan's daughter. The film ends with Khan traveling back to his homeland.[7](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/kabuliwala)\n\n## Production\n\nThe film was made under the Bimal Roy Productions banner.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) The screenplay was written by Vishram Bedekar and S. Khalil, with additional dialogue by Khalil, from Tagore's story.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/fullcredits/) Kamal Bose was the cinematographer, Madhu Prabhavalkar the editor, and Sudhendu Roy the art director; the lyrics were by Prem Dhawan and Gulzar, who also served as chief assistant director on the film.[11](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/generic/rabindranath-tagore/research-centre/archive/kabuliwala-1961-cinema-photographic-lobby-card-1548) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/fullcredits/)\n\n**Music.** Salil Choudhury composed the score. The songs include \"Ganga aaye kahan se\", sung by Hemanta Mukherjee, and \"Aye mere pyare watan\", one of [Manna Dey](https://www.edgepedia.org/manna-dey)'s best-known numbers, a patriotic song that became permanently associated with the film.[7](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/kabuliwala) • [12](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/tagores-cinematic-revival/) Playback singers on the soundtrack also included [Mohammed Rafi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mohammed-rafi) and [Usha Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/usha-mangeshkar).[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/fullcredits/)\n\n## Place among the adaptations\n\nTagore's story had already been filmed in Bengali by Tapan Sinha, released in 1957 and starring Chhabi Biswas as Rahmat.[13](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/kabuliwala-review-mithun-chakraborty-delivers-a-splendidly-moving-performance-3-5-stars-4727341/amp/1) The popularity of that version was strong enough that Hemen Gupta, whose earlier films included *Bhuli Nai* (1948), *'42* (1951), and *Anandamath* (1952), opted to make a Hindi version in 1961, Tagore's birth centenary year.[3](https://scroll.in/reel/1006317/behind-tapan-sinhas-) One scholarly account treats Gupta's film, in Vishram Bedekar's script, as an uncredited remake of Sinha's version.[14](https://ciu.edu.bd/attachment-files/ciu-journal/V-5_I-1/CIU_Journal_Ver-5.pdf) The film historian Amitava Nag writes that the Hindi version, produced by Bimal Roy and starring Balraj Sahni, \"could not match the eloquence\" of Sinha's Bengali film.[3](https://scroll.in/reel/1006317/behind-tapan-sinhas-)\n\nThe story continued to be adapted long after 1961. *Bioscopewala* (2018), starring [Danny Denzongpa](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-denzongpa), reimagined the Afghan protagonist as a traveling bioscope operator, and Suman Ghosh's Bengali-Hindi *Kabuliwala* (2023), starring [Mithun Chakraborty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mithun-chakraborty), returned to the original story set in mid-1960s Kolkata.[13](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/kabuliwala-review-mithun-chakraborty-delivers-a-splendidly-moving-performance-3-5-stars-4727341/amp/1) A Malayalam version was also made by Siddique Lal in 1993.[15](https://junputh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/TAGOREandCINEMA.pdf)\n\n## Reception and legacy\n\nThe film holds an 8.0/10 rating on IMDb from roughly 388 user ratings, with an unweighted mean of 8.1.[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/ratings/) On Rotten Tomatoes it shows a Tomatometer of 83 percent, based on fewer than 50 ratings.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kabuliwala)\n\n**Balraj Sahni's performance** is the element most often singled out. A retrospective in The Tribune calls Hemen Gupta's *Kabuliwala* \"a rare instance of a lead role for Sahni in the 1960s\" and notes that, as a homesick Afghan dry-fruit seller in Kolkata who misses his daughter, \"Sahni has moved generations to tears.\"[16](https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/show-stopper/balraj-sahni-was-he-the-greatest-indian-actor-ever/) A 2011 Indian Express article on the restoration of four Tagore films for the poet's 150th birth anniversary year wrote that the film \"captured the poignant tale of Rahman Khan and won several hearts in a newly-partitioned nation,\" and credited the screenplay as much to Gupta's direction as to Sahni's acting.[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/tagores-cinematic-revival/)\n\nThe film has remained in circulation: as of the most recent availability check, it streams on ShemarooMe in India free with ads.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala)\n\n## Notes on conflicting runtimes\n\nThe film's length is reported as 1h 35m to 2h 25m. IMDb lists 2h 14m (134 minutes),[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) lists 2h 14min,[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala) Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango list 1h 35m,[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kabuliwala) • [17](https://www.fandango.com/kabuliwala-1961-148727/movie-overview) and Moviebuff lists 2 hrs 25 mins.[7](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/kabuliwala) The ShemarooMe stream runs 2h 16m 44s.[10](https://pro.shemaroome.com/movies/kabuliwala) Release dates also differ slightly: IMDb gives December 14, 1961, while ShemarooMe lists December 13, 1961.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/) • [10](https://pro.shemaroome.com/movies/kabuliwala)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Kabuliwala (1961), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/)\n2. [Kabuliwala streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/kabuliwala)\n3. [Behind Tapan Sinha's 'Kabuliwala', a cross Tagore expert and an uncooperative leading man, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/reel/1006317/behind-tapan-sinhas-)\n4. [Kabuliwala (1961) HD Full Movie, YouTube (Sadabahar HD Songs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpLqJ9xO6mA)\n5. [Literature in Film & Media Studies, B.A. 6th Semester course material, CSJMU](https://prashnbank.csjmu.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Literature-in-Film-Media-Studies.pdf)\n6. [Kabuliwala (1961) - Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/fullcredits/)\n7. [Kabuliwala (1961), Moviebuff](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/kabuliwala)\n8. [Kabuliwala (1961) - Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055039/ratings/)\n9. [Kabuliwala, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kabuliwala)\n10. [Kabuliwala Movie Watch Online on ShemarooMe](https://pro.shemaroome.com/movies/kabuliwala)\n11. [Bose, Kamal (Cinematographer), Kabuliwala, 1961 | Lobby Card, Tuli Research Centre for India Studies](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/generic/rabindranath-tagore/research-centre/archive/kabuliwala-1961-cinema-photographic-lobby-card-1548)\n12. [Tagore's Cinematic Revival, The Indian Express (April 11, 2011)](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/tagores-cinematic-revival/)\n13. [Kabuliwala Review: Mithun Chakraborty Delivers A Splendidly Moving Performance, NDTV (December 23, 2023)](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/kabuliwala-review-mithun-chakraborty-delivers-a-splendidly-moving-performance-3-5-stars-4727341/amp/1)\n14. [CIU Journal 5(1), Chittagong Independent University](https://ciu.edu.bd/attachment-files/ciu-journal/V-5_I-1/CIU_Journal_Ver-5.pdf)\n15. [Tagore, Cinema and the Poetry of Movement, Indranil Chakravarty (2015)](https://junputh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/TAGOREandCINEMA.pdf)\n16. [Balraj Sahni: Was he the greatest Indian actor ever?, The Tribune](https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/show-stopper/balraj-sahni-was-he-the-greatest-indian-actor-ever/)\n17. [Kabuliwala (1961) Tickets & Showtimes, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/kabuliwala-1961-148727/movie-overview)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films before 1970*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) (1961 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) (1961 film)](https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film](https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Kabuliwala (काबुलीवाला) (1961 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kabuliwala-1961-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Kabuliwala is a 1961 Hindi drama directed by Hemen Gupta, produced by Bimal Roy, adapted from Tagore's 1892 story, starring Balraj Sahni as Afghan dry-fruit seller Abdul Rehman Khan, with music by Salil Choudhury including Manna Dey's \"Aye mere pyare watan\"." }