Kala Pani (1958 film)
Kala Pani (; ) is a 1958 Indian Hindi-language thriller film, produced by Dev Anand for Navketan Films and directed by Raj Khosla. It is a remake of the 1955 Bengali film Sabar Uparey starring Uttam Kumar and Chabi Biswas which itself was based on A.J. Cronin's 1953 novel Beyond This Place. The film's music is by S. D. Burman, and the lyrics are by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Kala Pani was the story of a young man who, upon learning about his father's wrongful implication in a fifteen-year-old murder, vows to bring the true criminals to justice and release his innocent father from prison, with the help of a fearless journalist & a prostitute, who is the eye-witness of the murder & have evidences against the criminals. Dev Anand starred as the young man named Karan Mehra, while Madhubala and Nalini Jaywant played a fearless journalist Asha and a prostitute Kishori respectively. Agha, Mukri starred in supporting characters. Upon its release on 9 May 1958, the film became a huge critical and commercial success, with the leading actors earning high praises for their respective portrayals. At the 6th Filmfare Awards, Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Plot 
Karan learns that his father Shankarlal, is in jail and that his mother has been pretending from his childhood that his father has died. On meeting his father, Karan learns that he has been jailed (colloquially referred to as "Kala Pani") for a murder that he did not commit. Karan sets out to gather proof of his father's innocence so that he can get the case reopened, filed against him, and get him freed. Karan comes to meet one of the witnesses who had spoken for his father in the court, who tells him about the investigating officer, Inspector Mehta. Karan stays as a paying guest, of which Asha is the owner and she is also a journalist. From Inspector Mehta, Karan learns of other witnesses - Kishori and Jumman. The Inspector confesses that although he smelt a rat, he was silenced by the prosecutor Jaswant Rai. Inspector Mehta also tells Karan that he overheard Kishori and Jumman speaking of a letter, and that this might prove to be a mighty proof of Shankarlal's innocence. Karan goes about to woo Kishori, so that he can get the letters possessed by her. In the meantime, romantic feelings develop between Karan and Asha. Karan also approaches Jaswant Rai as to how he can reopen the case to prove his father's innocence. He also asks whether it will suffice to get the letter from Kishori. The prosecutor tells him to get the letter first, so that he can see what to make out of it. The prosecutor turns out to be a villain. He warns Sardari Lal, the person who actually committed the murder, that Karan is after the letter that Kishori possesses. Sardari Lal, in turn, asks Jumman to warn Kishori about this. Kishori confronts Karan saying that he cheated her, that he was showing false love to her. But Karan answers back, that one who is the cause for jailing his innocent father cannot complain to him of lying to her. Kishori, upon knowing the truth, repents and gives the letter to Karan. An overjoyed Karan shows the letter to the prosecutor, only to see Jaswant Rai burn the letter. Karan realizes that the prosecutor was also involved in the plot. He starts a protest against the prosecutor outside his house, but gets arrested by the police. Asha tries to help him by printing about the prosecutor in the newspaper she works for. However, she is stopped by her editor, who says that she does not have proof to print anything against him. Kishori learns of this. She comes to Karan, now carrying the original letter. Karan submits this to get the case against his father reopened. The prosecutor Jaswant Rai admits his crime. The story ends with Shankarlal leaving prison, and with Karan marrying Asha. 