Written in 1941, 'Arturo Ui' is a savage and witty parable of the rise of fascism and Hitler. The story is recast in terms of a small-time gangster's take-over of the city's greengrocer trade. In Shahid Nadeem's Punjabi adaptation, Ui is replaced by Bala King, an 'unemployed' pehlawan gang leader, who decides to leave the Taxali Gate adda and try his luck in the Badami Sigh's world of inter-city transport. Bala and his gang exploit the vulnerability and contradictions of the businessmen of the Baghs, aided by their muscle power. Bala Pehlawan changes his name to Bala King, receives lessons in public speaking and political science and eliminates all opposition, circumvents law and public opinion and eventually establishes his total control over the area. The rise of Bala King and the inability of the people in resisting his dictatorial advances shows the weaknesses of society and its vulnerability to violence, blackmail and corruption.