Devendra (Sanjeev Kumar) is a writer and poet, who hates women due to a seriously unpleasant breakup in his past. When a mysterious woman wanders out in front of his American-made Cool Car, he very grudgingly takes her home...only to completely freak out when she claims she's his wife. His kindly uncle and the police both think that she has Identity Amnesia but Devendra thinks that she is a con artist Faking Amnesia for a Wounded Gazelle Gambit. But everyone insists that he take her in and treat her decently, so he (very very grudgingly) does. Over time, he becomes attracted to the warmth and optimism of this mysterious woman, whom he calls Anamika (which means "unnamed" in Sanskrit, but has a subtext of "without a destiny" or "one who makes her own destiny"). Meanwhile, people occasionally stalk and attack her, and he has to protect her. He continues to investigate her background, with increasingly unpleasant results, until the point where it really looks like she's a former prostitute and a con artist, and is definitely Faking Amnesia. But once again, is Anamika truly what she seems?
The romance/thriller Anamika (Ring Finger) was a fairly major hit in its time and one of the songs was quoted in Kal Ho Naa Ho.
This film contains examples of:
- Ascended Fangirl: It seems that Anamika was a fan of Devendra's books.
- Faking Amnesia: Most of the plot hinges on whether this trope or Identity Amnesia applies to the heroine.
- Freudian Excuse: Devendra's previous bad experience in a romantic relationship is implied to be this.
- I Love You Because I Can't Control You: When the real villain is revealed in the second half, his attitude towards Anamika has elements of this.
- Malicious Slander: What leads to Devendra believing that Anamika is a former prostitute.
- Meaningful Name: Devendra gives the mysterious woman the name "Anamika," which means "Nameless" or "Unknown" in Sanskrit but carries a subtext of "one without a destiny" or "one who makes her own destiny."
- Plucky Girl: Anamika. She's no Action Girl, but she remains fun and upbeat in difficult situations. She's strong enough to stand up to the villain (and to her love interest), and she's smart enough to know when to beat feet and when to call the police.
- Title Drop
- What the Hell, Hero?: The supporting characters do this to Devendra several times.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: What Devendra thinks Anamika is doing initially.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Devendra's suspicions of Anamika might be more justified if he were living in a Femme Fatale-infested Film Noir rather than a Bollywood romantic thriller starring an actress famous for her likable girl-next-door characters.
