Imaandaar Full Story Explained (1987)
Imagine a poor orphan who would do anything for the people he loves. Now imagine he is asked to pretend to be rich and steal a girl's heart. This is the story of 'Imaandaar' (1987). Sanjay Dutt plays Rajesh 'Raju', the honest young man at the center of this emotional drama. Farha Naaz plays Renu, the rich girl caught in the middle. The film also stars veteran actor Pran in a key role. Directed by Sushil Malik, this movie is a classic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and heartbreak. It released in 1987 and became a surprise hit. The story pulls you into a world where a good man must make terrible choices. It is a story of love given up for a friend. It is a story of honesty in a world full of lies.
An Honest Man's Promise
Rajesh 'Raju' is a poor but honest orphan. He lives in a small room and works hard every day. He has a heart of gold and helps everyone he can. One day, a rich businessman named Dr. Raj Bahadur Verma notices Raju's honesty. Dr. Verma is impressed by Raju's character. He decides to use Raju for a secret mission.
Full Plot
The film begins by introducing Rajesh 'Raju', a poor but extremely honest orphan played by Sanjay Dutt. Raju lives a simple life and helps run a local orphanage. He is deeply grateful to the woman who runs it, played by Shammi. He wants to save the orphanage from financial ruin. He also wants to pay for the education of a young boy from the orphanage.
Meanwhile, a wealthy businessman named Dr. Raj Bahadur Verma (Pran) has a problem. His beautiful daughter, Renu (Farha Naaz), is in love with a man named Vijay 'Viju' Verma (Rohan Kapoor). Dr. Verma hates Vijay's father, Ramesh Mahesh Sinha (Ranjeet Bedi), because Sinha betrayed him in business years ago. Dr. Verma will do anything to stop Renu from marrying Vijay's son.
Dr. Verma spots Raju and is impressed by his honesty. He offers Raju a deal. He will pay Raju a large sum of money to pretend to be a wealthy man. Raju's job is to woo Renu and make her fall in love with him. Raju needs the money for the orphanage, so he agrees. He starts dressing in fine clothes and acting like a rich businessman.
Raju meets Renu and begins his act. He takes her on dates and shows her a good time. The plan works perfectly. Renu starts to forget about Vijay and falls for Raju. But a problem arises. Raju himself starts to genuinely fall in love with Renu. He feels guilty for lying to her, but he cannot stop his feelings.
Eventually, Renu discovers the ugly truth. She learns that Raju is a poor orphan who was paid to trick her. She is devastated and heartbroken. She feels that their entire relationship was a lie. She rejects Raju completely. Raju is left alone with his guilt and his broken heart.
Vijay, who is actually a good man, steps in. He learns about Raju's noble intentions. He knows Raju truly loves Renu. Vijay sacrifices his own love and convinces Renu to forgive Raju. He explains that Raju's mistake came from a place of selflessness. Renu understands and forgives Raju. The lovers reunite, and Dr. Verma gives them his blessing. The film ends with Raju and Renu together, proving that true love and honesty win in the end.
Act Breakdown
The Honest Orphan
We meet Raju, a poor but honest orphan. He works hard and helps an orphanage. Dr. Verma, a rich businessman, notices Raju's honesty. Dr. Verma is worried because his daughter Renu loves Vijay, the son of his enemy. Dr. Verma offers Raju money to pretend to be rich and win Renu's heart.
The Plan Works
Raju starts his mission. He dresses like a rich man and woos Renu. Renu begins to fall for Raju and forget Vijay. But a major problem arises. Raju himself starts to genuinely fall in love with Renu. He is trapped in his own lie. The first half ends with Raju confused and in love.
Truth and Heartbreak
Renu discovers the truth about Raju's identity. She is heartbroken and feels betrayed. She rejects Raju completely. Raju is left alone with his guilt. Vijay, Renu's original love, learns about Raju's noble intentions. Vijay decides to sacrifice his own love for Renu's happiness.
Forgiveness and Union
Vijay convinces Renu that Raju's love was real. He tells her that Raju's lie was for a good cause. Renu forgives Raju. The lovers reunite. Dr. Verma accepts their relationship. The film ends with a happy and emotional reunion.
Characters
Rajesh 'Raju'
Played by Sanjay Dutt
Raju is the main hero of the film. He is a poor orphan with a heart of gold. He is extremely honest and selfless. He agrees to a dishonest plan to save his orphanage. He falls in love with Renu during his mission. He feels deep guilt for lying to her. In the end, he wins her forgiveness and love.
Renu S. Rai
Played by Farha Naaz
Renu is the beautiful daughter of Dr. Raj Bahadur Verma. She is innocent and trusting. She is initially in love with Vijay. She falls for Raju's fake persona. She is heartbroken when she learns the truth. She eventually forgives Raju after understanding his sacrifice.
Dr. Raj Bahadur Verma
Played by Pran
Dr. Verma is a wealthy and powerful businessman. He is Renu's protective father. He hates Ramesh Mahesh Sinha for betraying him. He hires Raju to break up Renu's relationship with Vijay. He wants to control his daughter's life. He finally accepts Raju as his son-in-law.
Vijay 'Viju' R. Verma
Played by Rohan Kapoor
Vijay is the son of Dr. Verma's enemy, Ramesh Mahesh Sinha. He is a good and noble man, unlike his father. He is in love with Renu. He sacrifices his love for her happiness. He helps reunite Raju and Renu by telling Renu the truth about Raju's good heart.
Ramesh Mahesh Sinha
Played by Ranjeet Bedi
Ramesh Mahesh Sinha is the main villain of the story. He is a wealthy man who betrayed Dr. Verma. He is the father of Vijay. His past actions create the central conflict of the film. He is the reason Dr. Verma hates Vijay's family.
Tiwarilal
Played by Mehmood
Tiwarilal is a comedic character in the film. He works as an assistant or a servant. He provides comic relief in the tense story. He is loyal to his master. His antics lighten the mood of the film.
Scene Highlights
The First Meeting
Dr. Verma first sees Raju helping someone on the street. He is impressed by Raju's honesty and good nature. This scene sets up the entire plot. Dr. Verma decides to use Raju for his plan. It shows the contrast between the rich man's power and the poor man's integrity.
Raju Woos Renu
Raju, dressed as a rich man, takes Renu on a date. He acts charming and confident. Renu starts to smile and enjoy his company. This scene is full of romantic tension. It shows the lie working perfectly, but also shows the real chemistry between Raju and Renu.
The Truth Revealed
Renu discovers that Raju is a poor orphan. She confronts him with anger and tears. She screams that their entire love was a lie. This is the most emotional scene in the film. It breaks Raju's heart and leaves him completely alone.
Vijay's Sacrifice
Vijay talks to Renu about Raju. He tells her that Raju's sacrifice was for a noble cause. He explains that Raju truly loves her. This scene shows Vijay's noble character. He gives up his own love for the happiness of his friend and Renu.
The Final Reunion
Renu finds Raju and forgives him. They embrace each other with tears of joy. The music swells as they reunite. This is the happy ending the audience waits for. It shows that love and honesty can overcome any obstacle.
Cast & Context
This film features Sanjay Dutt in his early years as a leading man. He was already known for his roles in action films. Farha Naaz was a popular actress in the mid-80s, known for her beauty and innocent roles. The film also stars the legendary Pran, who was a veteran of Hindi cinema. Pran's presence added gravitas to the film. Rohan Kapoor and Sumeet Saigal played supporting roles. The pairing of Sanjay Dutt and Farha Naaz was fresh and was liked by audiences.
Themes
Sacrifice for Love
The film is built on the theme of sacrifice. Raju sacrifices his own happiness to help the orphanage. Vijay sacrifices his love for Renu so she can be with Raju. These sacrifices show that true love is not selfish. It is about putting the happiness of others first.
Honesty vs Dishonesty
Raju is called 'Imaandaar' which means honest. But he starts the film by telling a big lie. The film shows that a good person can make bad choices. It also shows that lies always hurt people. The story ends when the truth comes out and everyone is honest with each other.
Class and Money
The film shows a big gap between the rich and the poor. Raju is poor but happy. Dr. Verma is rich but worried. The film suggests that money cannot buy true happiness. It also shows how rich people try to control the lives of others using their wealth.
Friendship and Loyalty
Vijay shows incredible friendship and loyalty. Even though Raju is his rival for Renu's love, Vijay helps him. He puts Raju's happiness above his own. This theme shows that true friends support each other, even when it is hard.
Music & Soundtrack
ComposerKalyanji-Anandji
The music was composed by the famous duo Kalyanji-Anandji. The song 'Aur Iss Dil Mein Kya Rakha Hai' became a huge hit. It is a romantic song that captures the love story of Raju and Renu. The music adds a lot of emotion to the film's dramatic scenes.
Similar Films
Both films were produced by Prakash Mehra and share a similar theme of an honest orphan struggling against society.
This film also features a poor hero who sacrifices his love for a friend, a core theme in Imaandaar.
Both films have a similar tone of family drama, sacrifice, and a happy ending with a strong moral message.
This film also involves a story of friendship, sacrifice, and a love triangle set in a historical backdrop.
Ending Explained
The film ends with a happy and emotional reunion. Renu has finally understood the truth about Raju's sacrifice. She realizes that Raju's lie came from a place of love and selflessness. He did it to save the orphanage and help other children. Vijay, the man she was originally in love with, convinces her to forgive Raju. He tells her that Raju's love for her is real and pure. Renu goes to Raju and they embrace. All the misunderstandings are cleared. Dr. Verma also accepts their relationship and gives them his blessing. The final message is that love can overcome any obstacle. It shows that a person's true character matters more than their past mistakes. The honest man, Raju, finally gets his happy ending. He wins the girl he loves and keeps his integrity intact.
Imaandaar is a classic 80s Bollywood masala film. It is worth watching if you enjoy emotional family dramas with a love triangle. The film's strength is its emotional core and the performance of Sanjay Dutt. He plays the conflicted hero very well. The music is also a big plus. However, the plot is a rehash of older films like Laawaris. The pacing can feel slow for modern viewers. The logic in some scenes is weak. But if you want a dose of old-school Bollywood sentiment and sacrifice, this film delivers. It is a decent watch for fans of Sanjay Dutt and 80s cinema.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main hero is Rajesh 'Raju', played by Sanjay Dutt. He is a poor but honest orphan. He pretends to be rich to win a girl's heart for money. He eventually falls in love with her for real.
A rich businessman hires a poor honest man named Raju to break up his daughter's relationship. Raju must pretend to be wealthy and make the daughter fall in love with him. The plan works, but Raju genuinely falls in love with her. This leads to heartbreak and a big sacrifice.
The main villain is Ramesh Mahesh Sinha, played by Ranjeet Bedi. He is the father of Vijay. He betrayed the heroine's father in the past. His actions are the reason for the family conflict in the story.
Imaandaar was a surprise box office hit. It performed well at the ticket counters in 1987. The film was successful despite having a low budget. It is remembered as a popular film from Sanjay Dutt's early career.
The song 'Aur Iss Dil Mein Kya Rakha Hai' became very popular. It is a romantic song picturised on Sanjay Dutt and Farha Naaz. The song is still remembered and loved by fans of old Bollywood music.