Highest grossing films of 1940

Radha (Sardar Akhtar) is an indomitable woman, toiling away to feed her three sons and to pay off Sukhilala (Kanhaiyalal), the village's rapacious moneylender. When she learns that she is pregnant again, her husband, Shamu (Arun Kumar Ahuja), runs far away, leaving her to fend for herself against poverty and the lecherous advances of Sukhilala. Later, the two eldest children die, leaving her with only two sons: the straight-laced Ramu (Surendra) and the wild Birju (Yakub). Ramu becomes a bandit which eventually forces Radha to take drastic actions.

The story of an unemployed graduate who falls in love with a woman who ran away from her cruel husband.

Dhiraj and Umang belong to a village, and so do Shashi and Urmi. The main drama moves between these two families with Unmad, an interloper, thrown in for grace. Evidently, the families are well off in worldly goods, for we find Umang returning to the scene of the drama as an educated man from Calcutta. On the other hand Urmi goes one better and returns with some overseas training. Strangely enough, the other brother Dhiraj and the other sister Shashi remain in the village and become simple rustics. Shashi and Dhiraj are in love with each other till Umang comes on the scene. Shashi is soon attracted by the glamorous Umang. Dhiraj is surprised, shocked but ultimately submits. He goes out of the village with a characteristic prodigal son gesture and allows Umang to marry Shashi, but not without threatening that he would break Umang's head if Shashi was ever made unhappy. Urmi, the complication in reserve, now turns up and provides intrigue and entertainment with a wild abandon, where she begins work by seducing Umang. A crisis is soon reached and Umang mortgaging his ancestral property to Unmad, elopes with Urmi to the city, leaving his wife and family. Unmad soon throws the family into the streets. while Umang is throwing money into the streets in the city. Dhiraj is now in charge of the family - the father having died of shock. He tries to maintain his mother and the pregnant wife of his brother. The child is born, and to get it milk, he robs Unmad and is arrested and sent to jail. Umang has also by now spent all his money and rather too suddenly turns over a new leaf, only to throw Urmi into an accidental death. A fugitive from law, he disguises himself and becomes "Emile Zola" by writing books under the name of Kaviraj. There is a dramatic meeting between the two brothers - in fact a complete family gathering.

When Gyan goes to Africa, he entrusts his wife's safety to his best friend Rasik. The two have extramarital affair and daughter Indira is born. Years later, Indira takes a fancy to Rasik's son.

The story centers on three college friends: the liberal Vijay, the conservative Loknath and Jagdish.

Madhurika comes back to Diamond Town, after studying in Bombay, svelte and fit in Western clothes. Her arrival comes just as the villain Kedarnath, has brutally seized power while the Prince is away. He was charged with weeding out local corruption but has become the Thugee boss instead. Unbeknownst to Kedarnath, he has a secret enemy named Diler, from a local band of dacoits, who survived Kedarnath burning his family home and gave an oath to avenge his father. Diler and Madhurika join ranks to deliver the town from evil, as she campaigns for women's literacy and independence.

Set in the early 20th C. Calcutta Theatres industry. Kamala (Kanan Devi) is the star of the Ruby Theatre owned by her guardian Maheshbabu. Narendra (Sanyal) is the equally popular star in the rival Bina Theatre, which he abandons to join the Ruby repertoire when he falls in love with Kamala. In a lyrical sequence in the countryside, they marry in a poor peasant setting. Narendra then shows his true colours and forbids Kamala to continue her acting career. She returns to the stage anyway while Narendra stays among the peasants. He later returns to the Bina Theatre and its success is intercut with the bankruptcy of the Ruby Theatre.