Shaheed

(1948)

Ram was son of Rai Bahadur Dwarka Das, a district Magistrate. Ram imbibed the spirit of the preachings of Mahatma Gandhi at a tender age. Ram was grratly influenced by his friend Gopal, son of the local landlord Hakumat Rai, of Amritsat. He was friendly also with Sheela, Gopal's sister. Vinod, son of the Superitendent of Police also tried to be friendly with Sheela, but Sheela had no regard for him. Years roll on and the childern grow into youths. In the "Quit India" Movement of 1942, Ram is seen as an under ground Socialist revolutionery, while Sheela is a lady doctor and Vinod an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ambala. Ram loots a railway train carrying Goverment money and is wounded in this act, and Sheela, who is accidently travelling with her father by the same train sees it, without however, recognising the victim. In Ambala Sheela's father meets the Superintendent of Police and negotiates Sheela's betrothal with Vinod. Next day while calling on their old friend, Rai Bahadur, Sheela recognises Ram as the revolutionery, removes the bullet from his arm and nurses him. The Rai Bahadur, obviously, would not have anything to do with a revolutionery son. Ram is furned out of home. He goes to meet Sheela where he learns from Vinod's father about the negotiations of her betrothal to Vinod being completed. Ram leaves Sheela's house in dispair and Sheela follows him. They spend a night at a hotel where they take vows of loving each other till death parts them. Gopal, Sheela's brother and a follower of Gandhiji, gets arrested on a charge of blowing up a railway bridge. Vinod, the Police officer threatens to have him severely punished unless Sheela agreea to marry him. And Sheela is reluctantly made to agree, with a determiation never to consumate the marriage. This obtains Gopal's release. Ram carries on underground activities, where he gets the news of Sheela's marriage with Vinod. Vinod tries to have his marriage consumated by all means fair or foul. Entering Sheelas room by a window one day he fordibley embracess her. She struggles and succeeds in getting out of his clutches, but before that, Ram has seen her in Vinod's arms for a short while, without her knowing it. Rams dreams are shattered and he hurries back from Vinod's house. In the hurry he drops an envelope containing infomation about his activities and where-abouts. This give a clue to Vinod, Who raids the hiding place of Ram. Ram and his colleagues escape, but Gopal and Guruji, the leader of the movement, are arrested. Ram entrusted with the task of securing Gopal's and Guruji's release, pleands in vain his father. Meanwhile, harrased constantly by Vinod, Sheela becomes a victim of tubersulosis. Persuaded by Ram, Sheela goes to a hill station. Ram is arrested by Vinod. This time, the news of Rams arrest has a healthy effect on the Rai Bahadur's mind, who resigns his service and renounces his title and defends Ram at a special tribunal where he is being tried as a revolutionary. He, however, fails to save his son, who is sentenced to be hanged. The news affects Sheelas failing health. Her condition takes the worst turn. As the procession of the great martyr Ram passes beneath the balcony of her house, she pays her last tribute to him by means of a flower garland and the next monent Vinod finds her lying lifeless with her head resting on the balcony window sill.