Bandhan

About the film

Bandhan (transl. Bond) is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama action film directed by K. Murali Mohana Rao starring Jackie Shroff, Salman Khan, Rambha and Ashwini Bhave. It is a remake of the Tamil film Pandithurai.

Plot

Thakur Suraj Pratap sees a young woman performing pooja at a temple, and instantly falls in love with her. This is Pooja, who belongs to a poor family, consisting of her dad, Ramlal, her mom and a brother named Raju. Thakur sends an emissary to Ramlal, who is delighted to give his daughter to Thakur in marriage, and the wedding is celebrated with due ceremony. Pooja is very fond of Raju and takes him along with her to her husband's house. This is the only "gift" that Pooja's impoverished parents are able to give their daughter at the wedding, and it is also beneficial for the young boy to grow up in a more affluent household. At the Thakur's palatial home, Pooja is greeted by Jyoti, Thakur's sister.

Years pass. Unfortunately, Pooja has been unable to bear children because of bilateral tubal block and failed IVF. Raju, now grown up, is intensely attached and loyal to Thakur, his brother-in-law. He and Thakur's sister Jyoti are in love. One day, Thakur meets Vaishali, a courtesan who sings and dances for a living. Vaishali has no relatives except one brother, an unscrupulous card-sharp named Gajendra who lives off his sister's earnings. Vaishali seduces the Thakur and becomes his mistress. Her brother, posing as a respectable man, demands that Thakur marry Vaishali and make the relationship public. Thakur is reluctant. On the one hand, he possibly hopes that Vaishali will make him a father. On the other hand, he is attached to his dutiful wife and loving brother-in-law. Gajendra and his friends hatch a plot to kill two birds with one stone: to induce Thakur to marry Vaishali, and at the same time, break the strong relationship between Thakur and Raju. The conspirators make a fool of Raju, as a result of which he causes the police to raid Gajendra's house, on the allegation that the house is being used as a brothel. During the police raid, Raju is horrified to find that the 'customer' found in Vaishali's company is none other than his brother-in-law. Thakur is also angered to find that the person who has caused him this infamy and police entanglement is none other than Raju. …

These events cause a great rift between the two families, because of which the two lovers (Raju and Jyoti) are separated. Vaishali is ensconced in the Thakur's mansion, and her brother becomes Thakur's confidant. He now wants to marry Thakur's sister, Jyoti, so that he and his sister Vaishali will totally control the vast wealth of the Thakur family. A naïve Thakur is taken in by his new brother-in-law's seeming decency, and it is arranged that Gajendra will marry Jyoti. However, Jyoti bravely refuses to marry anyone except Raju. She is supported by Pooja, who makes the point that it would be wrong and even sinful for Jyoti to marry one man while being in love with another; chasteness of the mind is as important as chasteness of the body.

Key details