Directed and produced by Abbas, the social film Rahi (1953) was based on Mulk Raj Anand's novel "Two Leaves and a Bud" (1937) and starred Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant in the lead roles along with Balraj Sahni, David, Achla Sachdev and Manmohan Krishan. The film highlighted the plight of tea estate workers and their treatment at the hands of the harsh practices of the management.