Naukari

While the film is entirely about a young man’s (Kishore Kumar) desperate search for employment, there is a small role for a woman too. It is that of the girl who lives across his window and with whom he falls in love. Her character is played by a lesser known actress, Sheila Ramani.

Although she is shown as a well-educated, city girl, yet she does not seem to have much of a voice, either in front of her father or her lover. This was the reality of the time (1950s) and it still is even today in many parts of India. 

But, her character eventually shows strength and free-thinking when she chooses to run away from home and not marry the man her father had chosen. She chooses to be with the man she loves. This one choice makes her character memorable because it must have required immense courage for an over-protected girl like her to leave everything and go after someone only for love.

She goes on to find out that Kishore Kumar has lost the one job that he had got. Whatever little hope there could be of him being acceptable to her father was also gone now. Yet, she decides to stick with him, yet again showing strength of her character. She eventually saves him from committing suicide and it is only her presence in his life that gives him a reason to live.

So, while her character is not in any way outstanding, yet it is not a weak character. Even in the small role that the girl had, Roy tried to show some strength of character, which is commendable.