Akela

A jaded socialite, Vinakumari, and her lover, Dr. Rasik, discover purpose at a Gandhian ashram. Vinakumari dedicates herself to the poor as the ashram battles challenges from urban temptation to famine and greedy landlords. Dr. Rasik eventually joins the cause, bringing much-needed medical aid to the struggling community.

A story about two women, who shared their husband.

A social drama centered on the life and struggles of an orphaned child. The film explore themes of vulnerability, resilience, the search for belonging, or the challenges faced by someone without familial support in society. It aim to evoke empathy and highlight societal responsibilities towards orphans.

A tearful melodrama about a progressive writer, Pushpa (Gohar), and her weak husband, Kulin (Billimoria). She has to fight her domineering mother-in-law and the tyrannies of a conservative household. When falsely accused of theft and infidelity by her wayward sister-in-law Gulab, Pushpa is forced out of the house. In her final state of penury, she recalls the examples of the great female Saint-Poets of Indian history, like Meerabai. Secondary characters are used to caricature Bombay's merchant class e.g. Mahatma Ramanand Adambar, a fortune-teller who suspects his wife of infidelity, and a gold collector called Prof. Pyarelal.

Khaibar Mail (or Khyber Mail) is a classic Pakistani film from 1960, known for its adventure/drama set around a train journey, featuring stars like Agha Hussaini, Nasira, Neelo, and Aslam Pervaiz, telling tales of love, danger, and local culture against the backdrop of the Khyber Pass region

A social‑musical drama from early Pakistani cinema, starring Sabiha Khanum and Santosh Kumar. With music by Master Inayat Hussain, the film helped make its lead pair a bankable romantic duo, introduced fresh talent like Musarrat Nazir, and delivered box‑office success in 1955.

Ostensibly a Central Asian war fantasy about a conflict between the Cossacks and the Tartars, Mehboob’s film proposes a tale advocating national independence. The Cossacks are oppressed by the despotic Russian king (Siddiqui) and his minister Jabir (Kayamali), who has Tartar blood in him. General Murad (Kumar) covertly sides with the opposition, gets arrested for treason and escapes. He meets the wild Gulnar (Sitara Devi) and gets her to spy as a maid of Princess Nigar (Bibbo). Nigar falls for Murad and Gulnar withdraws from the scene for the sake of her nation. Eventually Nigar, at the head of an army of women, helps defeat the villains.

An elder brother's sacrifice to educate his sibling leads to family strife when the younger brother marries into a rival family, sparking betrayal and tragedy that tests their bonds.

Prince Jahangir loves the slave girl Anarkali, which creates a serious conflict between Prince Jahangir and his father, Mughal emperor Akbar.

Gunsundari, the dutiful wife, acts as savior for her troubled joint family. Her father-in-law Shyamaldas battles alcoholism and accusations, while her husband Chandrakant falls prey to villains and a prostitute, losing his property. Gunsundari also aids her sister-in-law Sushila through marital woes, facing personal trouble due to a secret. Destitute, she eventually reunites with a similarly down-on-his-luck Chandrakant on the streets. A coincidence ultimately reveals Shyamaldas left his property to his estranged son, leading to a happy ending.

A social drama starred Sardar Akhtar, Mazhar Khan, Anjali Devi and Krishnakant

Farzana, a lonely young widow known as "Baaji," finds her quiet life disrupted when her cousin Nasir visits. A tragic misunderstanding leads her to believe Nasir intends to marry her, unaware that his heart actually belongs to another.

A professional thief Dhanji Bhagat uses his street-dancer daughter Raju as cover while working for wealthy schemer Keshav Seth. After Dhanji’s death, Raju’s life spirals into entanglements with Keshav’s shady dealings, a reckless suitor named Ramesh, and a series of misadventures that mix crime, betrayal, and misplaced romance. The story races through thefts, murders, and mistaken loyalties, ending with Ramesh marrying Raju after a turbulent journey of deceit and redemption.

This silent historical drama chronicles the life of Mehr-un-Nissa, who rises from humble beginnings to become the powerful and influential Empress Noor Jahan, wife of Mughal Emperor Jehangir. The film explores her intelligence, beauty, and significant role in shaping the Mughal Empire.

A classic modernization melodrama exploring the consequences of female autonomy.

Gyan leaves his wife Shobha in the care of his friend Rasik while he travels abroad. In his absence, Shobha and Rasik fall in love and have a child, Indira. Years later, unaware of the truth, Gyan returns and unknowingly arranges Indira’s marriage to Rasik’s son—her half-brother—setting the stage for a dramatic and morally complex revelation.

A parable about human suffering and capitalist enterprise. The village head man has bandits attack the house of Ramesh to settle a feud. They kidnap the man's wife Roma, and abandon their infant son in the forest. Years later, Roma works as the nurse of a kind millionaire while the boy Raghunath shares a neighbourhood house with other unemployed youths who collectively dream of starting a soap factory. The father is a beggar on the streets. None of them know of each other's existence until circumstances bring the family together...

Chandragupta is a 1934 historical film that chronicles the rise of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire. Directed by A.R. Kardar, the film depicts Chandragupta's journey from a humble background to becoming a powerful emperor, guided by the strategic brilliance of his advisor, Chanakya. The narrative likely covers the political turmoil of ancient India, including the decline of the Nanda Empire, the threat posed by Alexander the Great's invasion, and Chandragupta's efforts to unite various kingdoms to establish a vast and influential empire.

Two childhood sweethearts are driven apart by a bitter family feud, only for a twist of fate and a shared tragedy to reunite them under the most complicated of circumstances.

Najma, a destitute but caring young woman, lives with her aunt and cousins in Murree. Her life slowly spirals out of control with the arrival of a rebellious young man from Karachi.

The tyrannical Jabbar attacks a village and kidnaps the son of the devout Sayyed, named Iqbal. Raised by his captor, Iqbal becomes a tyrannical commander in Jabbar's army, forcing people to accept Jabbar as their god. During a campaign, he meets a group of "true" religious believers led by Sadiq, his daughter Sadika, and Princess Hamida. Hamida falls in love with Iqbal, much to the dismay of her suitor, Shaddad. As the plot unfolds, Iqbal learns of his true ancestry and is faced with a profound choice.

An everyday man, Govindlal (secretly wealthy Seth Bansilal), wins a Kashmir trip in a crossword puzzle, as does unemployed Sumant. They land in the same hotel, leading to a hilarious room mix-up. As Sumant and Bansilal's niece Shashi fall for each other amidst comic blunders, a blackmail plot by another guest, Manjri, adds to the chaos.

Indian horror movie from 1943.

This film tells two independent stories from the Mahabharata. The first part features the princess Savitri, who stands by her husband, the woodcutter Satyavan, when he is marked by Yama, the god of Death. When Yama fulfills his prophecy and takes away Satyavan's life, Savitri pleads with him and eventually wins her husband back. There are extraordinary scenes showing Savitri's pleas with the god sitting astride a buffalo somewhere between heaven and earth, intercut with shots of the couple's idyllic life as Savitri tends to her blind parents-in-law. The second half narrates the legend of Sukanya, the daughter of Sharyati. Seeing a large ant-hill, and unaware that it has been built over the meditating sage Chyvana, she blinds the sage and, in return, is forced to marry him. She tends to the old and decrepit man, and he changes into a handsome youth.

A melodrama suggesting that atheism is not a desirable option. Heroine Kusum (Gohar), the daughter of atheist millionaire Gumanchand (Bawa), is forced on to the streets when her father is jailed for fraud. She eventually meets the rich Rasiklal (E. Bilimoria), joins the stage and encounters her father once more when he tries to save her from a fire. The atheist father invokes the Almighty to save his daughter, but although she is saved she loses her eyesight. Other characters include the God-fearing but crooked tutor Indulal (Sandow) who later turns into a nice man after all, and Padma (Khatun), who exploits Rasiklal’s alcoholism to the benefit of her lover, Pyarelal.

Based on a popular legend, this silent film tells the story of the fairy Bakavali and her divine flower, the Gul, which possesses healing powers. Taj-ul-Mulk, a prince from the East, seeks the flower to cure his blind father. The legend's origins are debated: one version traces it to a 19th-century translation of a Persian tale, while another points to a 16th-century narrative from Abely Sheikh. The story was a favorite on the Parsee stage, particularly the scenes where Taj-ul-Mulk battles his villainous brothers, who steal the flower. The tale also features Bakavali turning to stone and her eventual human rebirth.

Lily and Vasant's suicide pact is thwarted, leading to Lily's forced marriage. She cares for an invalid Vasant, causing her husband to disown her and ban her from their daughter, Indu. Years later, their paths collide. Lily, now a servant, meets Vasant again, who is painting her lawyer daughter, Indu. Their renewed death pact leads to Vasant's death and Lily's arrest. In a dramatic trial, Indu defends Lily, facing her boyfriend (the prosecutor) and her father (the judge).

A silent social drama exploring themes of treason and retribution. The film would have told a moralistic tale about a character who acts as an "enemy of the nation" and faces divine or karmic punishment for their actions.