BAIJU BAWRA: 64 YEARS OLD
A musical revenge (Baiju Bawra)
Baiju is lost in Gauri's love and the damsel reciprocates adequately. But, Narpat will have none of it. This pompous and stupid but influential villager wants Gauri for himself and takes Mohan to task regarding the proximity between Baiju and Gauri. On confrontation by Mohan, Gauri cowers but only for a short while. For, there is nothing that can separate her from her sweetheart and she makes it quite obvious in the song Door koi gaye (it's a Lata Mangeshkar and Shamshad Begum duet).
After much deliberation Mohan resigns to the fact the Baiju and Gauri are made for each other. Hearing her father say so, she erupts in glee and runs to tell her sweetheart what her father has decided. Just when everything looks so halcyon, the village is attacked by a group of dacoits led by Roopmati (Kuldeep Kaur). She demands a hefty package from the poor villagers who plead with her. But Roopmati is hell bent for her the money. Just when she orders her men to loot and plunder, Baiju breaks into Insaan bano (Mohd Rafi) that absolutely melts the tough Roopmati. She is so taken by this musical charmer that she decides to leave the village without any ransom provided Baiju goes with her, for here is a dacoit whose heart has been robbed by this young man!
Gauri cries her heart out when hearing about Baiju's departure but her lover sees no other alternative to save the villagers. While he goes away Gauri weeps with Bachpan ki mohabbat ko (Mangeshkar). On reaching their den, Roopmati decks up in her finery to seduce Baiju but he is faithful to Gauri and slights the dacoit woman. Roopmati relates that she chose this trade to avenge the death of her father. This piece of information is enough to remind Baiju of his lost cause and he forgets everything...Gauri, the villagers and his music, but his decision to avenge the death of his father. He stealthily creeps into Tansen's mansion with a stolen sword and is about to behead the singer when he is doing his riyaaz. But the sound of music weakens his urge for cold revenge. Baiju cracks open Tansen's veena instead of his enemy's skull. It is then that Tansen tells him that if he really wants to see the end of Tansen, he should beat him in music. The film takes a turn from here and goes on to show how Baiju becomes a bawra and fulfils his promise, given to his dying father, in a very musical way.