Character Relationship Map: Babu

Characters

• Babu (played by Rajesh Khanna) — protagonist

  Babu is a young rickshaw puller whose difficult childhood makes him deeply grateful for the kindness and respect shown by Shankerlal's family. After Jaggu rapes Kammo, Babu kills him and spends two ye...

• Pinky's mother (played by Mala Sinha) — supporting

  Pinky's mother is Parvati, Shankerlal's wife. She and her family welcome Babu and treat him with love and respect after he helps them. By the time Babu is released from jail, she is a widow and Pinky...

• Pinky (played by Rati Agnihotri) — supporting

  Pinky is the daughter of Shankerlal and Parvati. As a child, she receives affection from Babu, and after his release from jail he earns money by pulling a hand-drawn rickshaw so he can send her to a d...

• Prem (played by Deepak Parashar) — supporting

  Prem grows close to Pinky, but their different social positions cause tension. He tells his father that Babu and Pinky will not come to meet them because Babu values his dignity and has kept Pinky awa...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Pinky's mother → Pinky (mother)
• Pinky → Prem (Romantic Interest) — Their growing closeness is complicated by Pinky's concern about her family learning Prem's background.

  The plot states that Pinky and Prem grow close, and describes tension arising from their different social positions.

• Babu → Pinky's mother (Family-Like Supporter) — Babu's practical and emotional support helps Pinky's mother and Pinky endure their changed circumstances.

  After Pinky's father dies and her mother sells possessions to repay debts, Babu continues supporting her and Pinky, regarding them as family.

• Babu → Pinky (Family Uncle-Like Guardian) — Babu dedicates himself to Pinky's education and hopes to see her graduate; their bond later becomes strained by the social distance between her and Prem.

  Babu supports Pinky after her father's death, struggles to provide for her education, and is described as treating the relationship as family rather t...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Babu → Prem (Conflict Socially Divided Prospective In-Laws) — Their connection is strained by class differences and Babu's insistence on dignity, which keeps Pinky apart from Prem's family.

  Prem tells his father that Babu has kept Pinky away after learning Prem is a rich man's son; Prem then urges his father to visit them.

Story Analysis

A rickshaw puller's dignity and devotion to a family are tested by hardship, illness, education, and class divisions.

Plot Progression

1. Dignity Beyond Wages — Babu earns money through hard labor and refuses to accept humiliation from his employer's son. He leaves without his wages and turns to pulling a rickshaw.
2. A Family in Need — Babu forms a close bond with Pinky's family, whose kindness he remembers. After Pinky's father dies and debts force her mother to sell possessions, Babu supports them as family.
3. Education and Class Divide — Babu struggles to support Pinky's studies, while Pinky and Prem grow close. Their different social positions make Pinky wary of her family learning Prem's background.
4. The Graduation and Silence — Babu becomes seriously ill but refuses to let Pinky's education stop, determined to see her graduate. Pinky returns with her degree, but Babu does not respond, leaving the family to face the distance...