{ "id": "eptpw1gbkg", "slug": "namak-haraam", "title": "Namak Haraam (नमक हराम)", "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-of-the-1970s", "label": "Hindi films of the 1970s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975", "label": "Released 1970 to 1975", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000: Released 1970 to 1975", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975", "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-of-the-1970s", "label": "Hindi films of the 1970s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975", "label": "Released 1970 to 1975", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Namak Haraam (नमक हराम), 1973 Hindi drama by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan; adaptation of Becket about class conflict, with R.D. Burman music; distinct from the 2023 HUM TV series Namak Haram.", "snippet": "Namak Haraam (नमक हराम), 1973 Hindi drama by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan; adaptation of Becket about class conflict, with R.D. Burman music; distinct from the 2023 HUM TV series Namak Haram.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1970-1975", "markdown": "# Namak Haraam (नमक हराम)\n\n**Namak Haraam** (नमक हराम) is a 1973 Hindi-language drama film directed by [Hrishikesh Mukherjee](https://www.edgepedia.org/hrishikesh-mukherjee), starring [Rajesh Khanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajesh-khanna) as the working-class Somu and [Amitabh Bachchan](https://www.edgepedia.org/amitabh-bachchan) as the wealthy Vicky, whose friendship is broken by a labor dispute at a factory. The title translates roughly as \"ungrateful\" or \"unreliable\" (the opposite of *namak halaal*, faithful to one's salt).[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/) • [2](https://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/is-namak-haram-living-up-to-its-hype/MjY2Mg%3D%3D)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | 23 November 1973 (censor certificate dated 19 November 1973)[3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/) • [4](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4629) |\n| Director | Hrishikesh Mukherjee[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/) |\n| Writers | Story by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and D.N. Mukherjee; screenplay and dialogue by Gulzar[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/) • [3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/) |\n| Music | R.D. Burman; lyrics Anand Bakshi; playback by Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, and Usha Mangeshkar[3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/) • [4](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4629) |\n| Source | Adaptation of the 1964 film *Becket*, with Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/trivia/) |\n| Runtime | 2h 20m on Apple TV and Rotten Tomatoes; 146 min on JustWatch; censor length 145m 34s[6](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/namak-haram/umc.cmc.4fb9a5zkvo3o8q6fi7n7ssb6x) • [7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/namak-haraam) • [4](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4629) |\n| Reception | IMDb rating 7.2/10 from about 2,000 votes; a box-office hit of 1973[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/namak-haraam) • [8](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/namak-haraam/MINITV_MOVIE_amzn1.dv.gti.974c4fa1-c676-425d-9bda-18186e61f44a) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nSomu (Somnath) lives in a shanty house in a Delhi slum with his widowed mother and unmarried sister Sarla; he is close friends with Vikram \"Vicky\" Maharaj, son of the wealthy Calcutta industrialist Damodar Maharaj ([Om Shivpuri](https://www.edgepedia.org/om-shivpuri)). When Damodar has a heart attack, Vicky takes charge of his father's factory and comes into conflict with the senior employee and union leader Bipinlal Pandey (A.K. Hangal). A worker loses his arm in an accident, and Vicky asks Somu to infiltrate the workforce and turn the workers against Pandey. Somu succeeds in replacing Pandey as union leader, but living among workers whose wages cannot buy grain, rice, or oil, and whose families die of preventable illnesses for lack of treatment, he begins to side with them, opening a rift between the two friends.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/) • [9](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one) • [7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/namak-haraam)\n\n[The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club)'s history of 1970s [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) identifies two central virtues in this setup: the idea that friendship can transcend class, and the question of what happens when class transcends a friendship. When Vicky advocates raising the workers' wages to his father, Damodar's cold refusal marks the point of no return.[9](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one)\n\n## Cast and crew\n\nRajesh Khanna plays Somnath \"Somu\" Chander Singh and Amitabh Bachchan plays Vikram \"Vicky\" Maharaj. The supporting cast includes [Simi Garewal](https://www.edgepedia.org/simi-garewal) as Manisha, Rekha as Shyama, Asrani as Dhondu, A.K. Hangal as Bipinlal Pandey, Durga Khote as Somu's mother, Om Shivpuri as Damodar Maharaj, Manmohan as Jai Singh, and [Raza Murad](https://www.edgepedia.org/raza-murad) as Alam.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/namak-haraam) • [3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/)\n\nThe film was produced by Jayendra Pandya, Raja Ram, and Satish Wagle for R.S.J. Productions, with cinematography by Jaywant Pathare, editing by Das Dhaimade, and art direction by Ajit Banerjee.[3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/) • [10](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/generic/bhanu-athaiya/research-centre/all/namak-haraam-1973-cinema-photographic-still-97)\n\n## Music\n\nR.D. Burman composed the score and [Anand Bakshi](https://www.edgepedia.org/anand-bakshi) wrote the lyrics. The songs include the friendship anthem Diye jalte hain (\"Diye Jalate Hain, Phool Khilate Hain, Badee Mushkil Se Magar Duniya Men Dost Milate Hain\"), sung by [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar), along with *Nadiya se dariya*, *Main shayar badnaam*, the Holi song *Holi hai*, and the satirical electoral song *Wo jhootha hai vote na usko dena*. Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, and [Usha Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/usha-mangeshkar) were the playback singers, and the soundtrack was released on the Saregama-HMV label.[3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/) • [4](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4629) • [11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-making-of-namak-haraam-how-flop-actor-amitabh-bachchan-stole-the-show-from-superstar-rajesh-khanna-9185331?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories_topstoriesImg)\n\n## Production and the changing of stardom\n\nWhen shooting began in 1972, Rajesh Khanna was the reigning superstar with almost no dates to spare, while Amitabh Bachchan, before the release of *Zanjeer*, was widely available. Mukherjee therefore shot most of Bachchan's solo scenes without Khanna. When the unfinished film was shown to distributors, they took Bachchan to be the lead and Khanna a special appearance, and declined to buy it; one distributor mocked the hero's haircut. After *Zanjeer* became a blockbuster, that same distributor demanded that Bachchan's role be enlarged and that he receive equal prominence on the posters.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/trivia/)\n\nKhanna had been offered the role of Vicky first and declined it, asking for the other role instead. After watching Bachchan's performance, Khanna said that someone had come to replace his stardom; the A.V. Club calls the film the beginning of the end of Khanna's reign in Hindi cinema. At the premiere, Khanna reportedly told Mukherjee, \"Here's the superstar of tomorrow.\"[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/trivia/) • [9](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one) • [12](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2020/september/Filmfare_Mobile.pdf)\n\nThis was the second and last time Khanna and Bachchan shared the screen, after *[Anand](https://www.edgepedia.org/anand-1971-film)* (1971), owing to the rivalry between them.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/trivia/) The film also marked a departure for Mukherjee, known for warm comedies and family dramas such as *Anand*, *[Bawarchi](https://www.edgepedia.org/bawarchi)*, and *Chupke Chupke*: set against the backdrop of the textile mills, it was his most political film, dramatizing the clash between capitalism and socialism.[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-making-of-namak-haraam-how-flop-actor-amitabh-bachchan-stole-the-show-from-superstar-rajesh-khanna-9185331?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories_topstoriesImg) • [13](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/streaming-guide-hrishikesh-mukherjee-films-6121277/)\n\n## Source and context\n\nThe film adapts the 1964 Hollywood classic *Becket*, mapping the Burton and O'Toole roles onto Khanna and Bachchan respectively.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/trivia/) • [11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-making-of-namak-haraam-how-flop-actor-amitabh-bachchan-stole-the-show-from-superstar-rajesh-khanna-9185331?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories_topstoriesImg) It appeared in November 1973, months after *[Zanjeer](https://www.edgepedia.org/zanjeer-1973-film)* had introduced Bachchan as the \"Angry Young Man\" in May of that year, and it reinforced that screen persona.[12](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2020/september/Filmfare_Mobile.pdf)\n\n## Availability\n\nAs of the most recent listings, the film is not included with any subscription streaming service in the United States; it can be rented from $3.99 or bought from $9.99 in HD on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google TV, and YouTube, and on DVD from Amazon. In India it streams on Airtel Xstream Play via Amazon MX Player with eligible Airtel plans.[14](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/namak-haraam/20021005/where-to-watch/) • [7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/namak-haraam) • [8](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/namak-haraam/MINITV_MOVIE_amzn1.dv.gti.974c4fa1-c676-425d-9bda-18186e61f44a)\n\n## Other uses of the title\n\nA separate Pakistani Urdu television series, *Namak Haram*, aired on HUM TV from 3 November 2023, starring Imran Ashraf as Mureed and [Sarah Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarah-khan) as Asma, written by Saqlain Abbas and directed by Shaqielle Khan; its finale aired in May 2024.[15](https://wegreenkw.com/entertainment/namak-haram/) • [16](https://hum.tv/blog/namak-harams-last-episode-airs-tonight/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Namak Haraam (1973), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/)\n2. [Is Namak Haram Living up to its Hype?, Youlin Magazine](https://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/is-namak-haram-living-up-to-its-hype/MjY2Mg%3D%3D)\n3. [Namak Haraam Cast & Crew, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/namak-haram/cast/)\n4. [Namak Haram, Hindi Film Database 1931–1985](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4629)\n5. [Namak Haraam (1973) Trivia, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070434/trivia/)\n6. [Namak Haram, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/namak-haram/umc.cmc.4fb9a5zkvo3o8q6fi7n7ssb6x)\n7. [Namak Haraam streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/namak-haraam)\n8. [Namak Haraam on Airtel Xstream Play](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/namak-haraam/MINITV_MOVIE_amzn1.dv.gti.974c4fa1-c676-425d-9bda-18186e61f44a)\n9. [A history of Hindi cinema: The 1970s, part one, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one)\n10. [Namak Haraam 1973 photographic still, Tuli Research Centre](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/generic/bhanu-athaiya/research-centre/all/namak-haraam-1973-cinema-photographic-still-97)\n11. [The Making Of Namak Haraam, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-making-of-namak-haraam-how-flop-actor-amitabh-bachchan-stole-the-show-from-superstar-rajesh-khanna-9185331?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories_topstoriesImg)\n12. [Filmfare magazine archive (September 2020)](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2020/september/Filmfare_Mobile.pdf)\n13. [Streaming Guide: Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/streaming-guide-hrishikesh-mukherjee-films-6121277/)\n14. [Where to Watch Namak Haraam, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/namak-haraam/20021005/where-to-watch/)\n15. [Namak Haram Drama: Cast, Release Date & Story, WeGreen Entertainment](https://wegreenkw.com/entertainment/namak-haram/)\n16. [Namak Haram – Last Episode Airs Tonight, HUM TV](https://hum.tv/blog/namak-harams-last-episode-airs-tonight/)\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 of the 1970s › Released 1970 to 1975*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 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/namak-haraam", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-haraam.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": "\"Namak Haraam (नमक हराम)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-haraam. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Namak Haraam (नमक हराम)](https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-haraam)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-haraam](https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-haraam). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Namak Haraam (नमक हराम)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-haraam. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Namak Haraam, 1973 Hindi drama by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan; adaptation of Becket about class conflict, with R.D." }