Plot

When a young man from a small town decides to make it big in a city, he faces several challenges.

Wearing torn Japanese shoes, English trousers, a red Russian cap, and a Hindustani heart, orphaned Ranbir Raj comes to Bombay to make his fortune. He pawns his gold medal, gambles with the money, loses everything, & the balance is pick-pocketed. He ends up on the beach, meets with Vidya Shastri, a teacher who runs a private school, and both fall in love. Ranbir gets a job in a laundry. When he goes to deliver some clothes to Maya, she notices that he has a way with cards, gets him to accompany her to a casino of sorts, where he wins Rs.20000/-, which unfortunately is pocketed by Maya. Then a rich industrialist, Sonanand Dharmachand, approaches Ranbir, hires him to work for him, and soon Ranbir is on his way to a wealthy life. Vidya gets a first hand look at this wealthy life, and decides to break up with him. Sonachand teaches Ranbir that in order to make money one must never discriminate between the rich and poor. So they set out to offer homes to the homeless for Rs.100/-. Watch what happens when Ranbir finds out that Sonachand has been setting him up to be the fall guy.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Shri 420 is the tale of a country boy, Raj (Raj Kapoor), who travels to the big city to earn a living. He falls in love with the poor but virtuous Vidya (Nargis), but is soon seduced by the riches of a freewheeling and unethical lifestyle presented to him by an unscrupulous businessman Seth (Nemo) and the sultry temptress Maya (Nadira). He eventually becomes a swindler, or "420." Ultimately, Raj forsakes his greedy and dishonest ways.—gavin@sunny_deol2009@yahoo.com

A country boy, Raj (Raj Kapoor), from Allahabad, travels to the big city, Bombay, by walking, to earn a living. He falls in love with the poor but virtuous Vidya (Nargis), but is soon seduced by the riches of a freewheeling and unethical lifestyle presented to him by an unscrupulous and dishonest businessman, Seth Sonachand Dharmanand (Nemo) and the sultry temptress Maya (Nadira). He eventually becomes a confidence trickster, or "420," who even cheats in card gambling. Vidya tries hard to make Raj a good man, but fails.[4] Meanwhile, Sonachand comes up with a Ponzi scheme to exploit poor people, whereby he promises permanent homes to them at just Rs. 100. The scheme pays off, as people start hoarding money for a home, even at the cost of other important things. Vidya's contempt for Raj increases even more. Raj becomes wealthy but soon realizes that he paid a very high price for it. When Raj discovers that Sonachand has no plans to fulfill his promises, he decides to make wrongs right. Raj takes all the bond papers of the people's homes and tries to flee Sonachand's home, only to be caught by Sonachand and his cronies. In a scuffle that occurs, Sonachand shoots Raj and he falls unconscious. When people hear the shooting, they come and see Raj nearly dead. Sonachand tells police that Raj was trying to flee after stealing money from his safe, hence Sonachand shot him. Upon this, the "dead" Raj springs back to life, and using pure logic, proves Sonachand's guilt. Sonachand and his partners are arrested, while Vidya happily forgives Raj. The film ends with Raj saying "Yeh 420 Nahin, Shree 420 Hain" ("These are not simply con men, they are respectable con men").—devshah-86316

"Shree 420" is a classic Indian film that tells the story of Raj, a naive country boy who arrives in Bombay with dreams of success. Portrayed by Raj Kapoor, Raj is an embodiment of innocence and ambition, wearing his heart on his sleeve as he navigates the complexities of city life. The film opens with Raj's arrival in the city, where he quickly falls in love with Vidya, a virtuous teacher played by Nargis. However, Raj's simple life takes a turn when he is seduced by the allure of wealth and the deceptive charm of Maya, a sultry temptress, and Sonachand Dharmanand, a cunning businessman. As Raj is drawn into their world of greed and deceit, he adopts the ways of a "420," a term derived from Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, which signifies a cheat or fraudster. Despite Vidya's efforts to steer him back to righteousness, Raj is entangled in a web of lies and schemes, including a Ponzi scheme concocted by Sonachand to exploit the poor. The film reaches its climax when Raj, realizing the gravity of his actions, decides to right his wrongs, leading to a dramatic confrontation with Sonachand. "Shree 420" is a poignant exploration of the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in pursuit of wealth and happiness. It combines drama, romance, and comedy to deliver a powerful message about integrity and the true value of life.—SunMaximusOne