Garam Masala (1972 film)

Plot

The film presents a clash of ideologies: whether might is right or right is might. In the kingdom of Sabzbag, the king has been missing for several years, and the prince is being trained at the training center of Hercules to become a worthy ruler. However, Captain Kishore, the despotic ruler, has instructed Hercules to teach the prince everything except true kingship. Once the Captain is satisfied that the prince has become a cowardly, fun-loving clown, he sends a royal escort to bring the prince back for his coronation. On the journey, a gypsy girl named Jugnu tricks the prince away from his retinue and demands that he grant her justice once he becomes king. She discovers that the prince is incapable of being a strong or just ruler, as he cannot even find out what happened to his own father. Jugnu releases him and resolves to fight for justice herself. The prince is welcomed back by Captain Kishore and his beloved Neelima, who are confident that he will be a king in name only while they hold the real power. Under the pretext of celebrating the prince's birthday, they extort more money from the already oppressed people. When the Captain's soldiers rob the poor, a masked person intervenes, drives them away, and returns the stolen goods. The Captain, furious, sets a trap to capture this masked figure, who is called Garam Masala. Garam Masala enters the palace to reclaim the money taken from the poor, is captured, and is about to be unmasked when a second masked man arrives and rescues him. The Captain now faces two mysterious masked men and, while descending into the dungeons, discovers an unknown prisoner wearing an iron mask. The identities of the two masked men, the man in the iron mask, and the nature of the justice Jugnu seeks remain unresolved.