Habib Tanvir
Rajan Mathur (Anil Kapoor) is a Professor in Urdu literature in Dr. Zakir Hussain's College. He resides in Chandni Chowk with his activist wife, Roma Mathur (Shefali Shah). Professor Mathur comes across a young boy called Numair Qazi (Anurag Sinha) who introduces himself as a victim of communal riots in Gujarat.
The film is derived from a classic folk tale, originally narrated by Vijaydan Detha, and interpreted as folk play by Habib Tanvir. The film charts the tumultuous life of a petty thief, Charandas (Lalu Ram). Curiously he is a man of principles – an honest thief with a strong sense of integrity and professional efficiency. He makes four vows to his Guru, that he would never eat in a gold plate, never lead a procession that is in his honour, never become a king and never marry a princess, thinking all of them are far out possibilities for him. Later, his guru adds a fifth one - never to tell a lie and sets him of on his life's journey which leads him to a kingdom..
