Mehboob Ki Mehndi

• Rajesh Khanna as Yusuf
• Leena Chandavarkar as Shabana
• Pradeep Kumar as Anwar Kamaal/ Khairuddin 'Khairu'
• Sunder as Hakim Sahab (Gulkand's father)
• Iftekhar as Nawab Safdarjung
• Manorama as tutor Mrs. Albert
• Paro as Naani
• Master Kishore as child Firangi
• Jagdish Raj as Nisaar Ahmed/ Usmaan
• Farooque 'Kartoos' as Moonhbole
• Gurnam Singh (as Gurnam)
• Mumtaz Begum or Badi Mumtaz as Shabana's granny
• Kamal Kapoor as Public Prosecutor

The film starts with Shabana (Leena Chandavarkar) performing at a singing competition in her college. She lives with her foster grandmother/ nanny in Bombay, while her mother, Najma stays away from her in Hyderabad with her exploitative partner, Nisaar Ahmed (Jagdish Raj), who's in fact a pimp. He forces Najma to live the life of a prostitute. However, Najma doesn't tell her daughter about this and Shabana doesn't have any idea about her mother's miserable life. One day, she is back from her college after winning a singing competition. Shabana is expecting her mother to visit within 2–3 days, but the doorbell rings and the postman comes with a telegram, which comes from Hyderabad, informing her of her mother's illness. She goes to Hyderabad with her nanny where she finds out the truth. When her mother comes to know about this, she locks herself in a room and commits suicide by jumping from the window. In fact, it was Nisaar who had sent the telegram to trick Shabana into coming to Hyderabad because now, he wants to use her for prostitution as her mother is past her prime. But her grandmother cleverly saves her and takes her to Lucknow, where her foster brother stays. When they come to her brother's house, they learn that he died recently. His foster son (interestingly named Moonhbole which means Foster) is happy to welcome them into the house. The next day, the young and handsome Yusuf (Rajesh Khanna), son of a wealthy royal Nawab Safdarjung (Iftekhar) who is physically handicapped and confined to a wheelchair, comes to Shabana's house. He mistakes Shabana for her cousin Moonhbole as she sleeps under a coverlet and whacks her bottom. As she wakes and screams in fear, Yusuf is mesmerised by her beauty and at the same time, both are confused. Yusuf comes to know about Shabana from her cousin. He has an impish little nephew nicknamed Firangi (which means Britisher). Firangi's tutor, tired of his mischievous behaviour, throws up her job after he sets a white mouse upon her at Yusuf's instigation. Yusuf then arranges to bring Shabana as the new teacher. One night, Yusuf discovers a thief in his bedroom. But the elderly man Khairuddin's (Pradeep Kumar) honesty and well spoken nature impress him so much he appoints him as caretaker to his old father, the nawab. However, the thief Khairuddin (Nawab Anwar Kamaal in the garb of a servant) had arrived there with the intention of killing Yusuf owing to an old enmity with his father, the nawab (Iftekhar). It turns out Khairuddin's father (Murad) was a rich nawab whose wealth and family home was usurped by this nawab (Iftekhar)'s father.

Shabana and Yusuf soon fall in love. Nawab Safdarjung is happy with the relationship and starts arranging their marriage. Just before their wedding, it is revealed that Shabana is the daughter of a courtesan named Najma, when Shabana gives a letter to Khairuddin to deliver to Yusuf. Khairu realises she is his daughter by Najma. Upon learning of the impending marriage, the goon Nisaar arrives to blackmail Shabana. He threatens to reveal her mother's background to Yusuf and his family and disgrace them in society and consequently get the wedding called off. He demands she hand over all her jewellery and money in Yusuf's house to him. He also tries to molest her. Khairu comes to the rescue by killing Nisaar. The real truth and real relationships are revealed in the ensuing murder trial. In a happy ending, Yusuf and Shabana get married. The film closes with the mischievous nephew Firangi intruding upon the newlyweds' boudoir.

All the songs[5] were composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal and lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi.

• Mehboob Ki Mehndi at IMDb