[2] Dealing with the controversial subject of rape, the film revolves around the titular upper-class lawyer (Dilip Kumar), his feminist fiancé, the social worker Anju Roy (Madhubala), and Sonia (Nimmi), a poor milkmaid.

Following Kumari's departure, the shooting came to a halt and several actresses made unsuccessful tries to achieve the high-profile role.

[6] Baburao Patel, the editor of Filmindia, called it "a brilliant picture with a gripping human story superbly directed and acted with flawless perfection.

"[7] The magazine also defended Kumar's anti-hero role, quoting Jawaharlal Nehru as "films must amuse and at the same time educate.

"[7] Deepak Mahaan of The Hindu lauded the film for its characterization of strong female protagonists and photography of rape scenes without any nudity.

[4] Mahaan added: "The black and white canvas lent the story a quiet dignity, appropriate to the ethical tussle between truth and desire, moral turpitude and justice.

"[4] In a retrospective review, Khalid Mohammed noted that the protagonists were not portrayed as "snow-white paragons of virtue" but are instead shown with "human weaknesses", which is a rarity in Indian cinema.

[1] Mahaan and Karan Bali subsequently attributed the film's controversial subject matter to its poor box office earnings.