Amar Prem
Amar Prem | |
---|---|
Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay and Nishi Padma (Bengali Film) | |
Produced by | Shakti Samanta |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Aloke Dasgupta |
Edited by | Govind Dalwadi |
Music by | R. D. Burman |
Production company | Shakti Films |
Release date |
|
Country | India |
Language | Hindi |
Amar Prem (transl. Immortal Love) is a
The film is noted for its music by
Plot
Pushpa is expelled from her house by her husband and his new wife. When she refuses to leave, her husband beats her and throws her out. She goes to her mother for help, but her mother too disowns her. When she tries to commit suicide, she is sold to a kotha in Calcutta by her village-uncle, Nepal Babu. On her audition at the kotha(brothel), Anand Babu, a businessman seeking love, is attracted by her singing. Anand Babu is unhappily married and lonely and becomes her regular and exclusive visitor as love blossoms.
Later, a widowed man with his family, from the same village as her, moves in close to Pushpa's place. The new neighbour's son, Nandu, does not get any love at home, as his father works all the time and his stepmother does not care about him. Nandu's father learns about Pushpa's new life and forbids her from interacting with him and his family as he fears what people would say. However, Pushpa starts treating Nandu as her own son when she realises that he is mistreated at home, and often goes hungry. Nandu also comes to love Pushpa and starts to regard her as his mother. He visits her every day and comes upon Anand Babu, who also becomes fond of him becoming a father figure, calling him Pushpa's son, seeing the way Pushpa loves the child.
One day, Anand Babu's brother-in-law comes to see Pushpa and demands that she tell Anand Babu to stop visiting her. With great reluctance, Pushpa agrees and she turns Anand Babu away when he comes to see her. It is then that the businessman realises that he is in love with Pushpa. When Nandu suffers from fever and his treatment is too expensive, Pushpa asks Anand Babu for help and he secretly finances the treatment and does not let anybody know. When the doctor asks him why is he so keen on helping Nandu, he replies some relationships have no names. However, when Nandu's father asks the doctor who paid for the treatment, the doctor says that his mother did. Then Nandu's father discovers that it was Pushpa who saved her son's life and he thanks her and gives her the sari that he had bought for his wife, telling her that it was a gift from a brother to a sister. A touched Pushpa accepts.
Nandu's family has to move to the village and Nandu plants a sapling of night-flowering jasmine (Harsingaar or Parijat) at Pushpa's home, making her promise to always take care of it. Pushpa cries and agrees.
Several years later, Nandu grows up to become a government engineer posted in the same town. Anand Babu meets Pushpa, now working as a maidservant who is ill-treated and they both reconcile. Nandu unsuccessfully searches for her and gives up after inquiring in the neighbourhood. Nandu's son gets sick and they go to the same doctor. Meanwhile, having met Pushpa, Anand Babu decides to catch up with all his old friends and meets the doctor. During the conversation, he reveals that he has stopped drinking and visiting brothels once he left Pushpa. He also tells him that he is now divorced/separated due to his wife's partying ways, but is finally at peace and is happy with Pushpa's love and affection in his heart. They talk about Nandu and the Doctor informs him that Nandu is in town. Nandu meets Anand Babu when he comes to meet the doctor to ask regarding the medicine, who takes him to meet Pushpa. Both of them, unable to see Pushpa ill-treated, stand up for her and in the end Nandu takes Pushpa home with him, like a son who is reunited with his long lost mother with Anand Babu looking on, crying happily.
Cast
- Sharmila Tagore as Pushpa
- Rajesh Khanna as Anand
- Vinod Mehra as Nandkishore Sharma "Nandu"
- Abhi Bhattacharya as Dr. Ghosh
- Satyendra Kapooras Vijay
- Madan Puri as Nepali Babu
- Sujit Kumar as Mahesh Sharma
- Bindu as Kamla Sharma
- Farida Jalal as Nandu's wife
- Om Prakash as Natwarlal
- Master Bobby as Young Nandkishore Sharma "Nandu"
- Master Rajuas Nandu's younger brother
- Leela Mishra as Mausi
- Asit Sen as Chandar
- Manmohan as Ram Ratan
- Rakesh Pandey as Anand's Brother-in-law
- Hiralal as Hostel Supervisor
- Moolchand as Pan Shop Owner
- Jankidas as Priest
- Birbal
Production
Script
After making entertainers like China Town (1962), Ek Raaz (1963),
The story was first published in Bandopadhyay's short story collection, Galpa Panchashat (Fifty Stories, 1956).
Casting
Once the script was ready, Samanta approached Sharmila Tagore, with whom he had done a string of films, like Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), An Evening in Paris (1967) and most recently Aradhana (1969), with Rajesh Khanna. Tagore found her character "Pushpa", "a very strong role in the iconic mould of Mother India" and instantly agreed, thus it was one of the first films she signed on after the birth of her son Saif Ali Khan. For the role Anand, actor Raaj Kumar was Samanta's first choice, as he believed Khanna who had become a super star after the hit Aradhana, wouldn't be interested in doing a film that focussed on the female lead. However, Khanna convinced Samanta that would do justice to the role. However, Khanna changed the character's name from Ananta to Anand to draw connection to his character in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's critically acclaimed Anand (1971).[3]
Filming
The film was shot in
Themes and allusions
Amar Prem takes forward the popular genre of self-sacrificing mother or woman prevalent in the decade as seen in Aradhana (1969) and Kati Patang (1971), though seen as early as in 1957 in
As the film evolves, Pushpa is no longer the fallen woman; she is not just redeemed — Anand Babu tells her, Tumne is kamre ko mandir bana diya (You have turned this room into a temple) – but in the end is
The film also deals with the theme of urban melancholy, of the bhadralok, the gentlefolk, through Anand Babu, a businessman trapped in a bad marriage, whose wife is constantly busy in beauty-parlours and parties, and seeks company in Pushpa and alcohol. Pushpa, herself lonely, fulfills her maternal instincts through Nandu, a young boy in the neighbourhood, often ill-treated by his step mother. Thus three lonely people become surrogates for each other and create their own family unit, even though briefly, as Anand Babu defines it, "Koi agar apna na hoke bhi bahut apna ho, toh ise kya kehte hain? Bahut pyara rishta, na?" (If someone is bound to you in spite of not being related to you, isn't that a lovely relationship?)[3][14][17] Also through his song, Kuch To Log Kahenge, Anand Babu mocks society's moral judgement and hypocrisy, as he consoles a despondent Pushpa by singing, "Sita bhi yahan badnaam hui" (Even Sita (King Rama's wife in Ramayana) was insulted here) relating to an episode in epic, where in Sita having returned from captivity of demon king Ravana, she had to prove her purity, and even then was banished by Rama to the forest.[18]
Music
Amar Prem | ||||
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Film soundtrack | ||||
Label | Saregama | |||
R. D. Burman chronology | ||||
|
The score and soundtrack for film was composed by
However, when it came to "Bada Natkhat hai Re Krishna Kanhaiyya", things took a different turn when his father, veteran music director, S. D. Burman intervened and asked Burman to redo the tune. Burman was given the brief of "usual bhajan situation" by Samanta, later as he was giving final touches to the tune, his father heard the tune, and asked for the precise description of situation. On listening to the situation, he expressed his dismay as not doing justice to the situation,[19] as R.D. Burman recounted in a later interview, "But where's the composer in you in this tune, Pancham (Burman's nickname)?" and went on to explain: "..For Sharmila here is something more than the nautch-girl she plays. Her motherly instincts have been aroused by that kid. Your tune therefore must communicate all the agony of the nautch-girl wanting to be the mother she can never be. Do it again, your way, but with the moving human situation in mind."[20] Thus R.D. Burman made a tune in Raga Khamaj, which Lata Mangeshkar too sang with marked emotional clarity and abandon, who is usually prone let her technical dexterity outshine. The song became a classic,[6][21] and later Burman called it his "best lesson in music" from his father.[20]
Finally, Burman roped in his father, S. D. Burman to sing "Doli Mein Bithai Ke Kahaar" in his typical bardic voice, and the song which appears twice in the film, was to become one of the most memorable songs of his career as a playback singer.[22]
The song "Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge" is considered to be one of the most loved filmi songs of all time.[23]
# | Title | Singer(s) | Duration |
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1 | "Doli Mein Bithai Ke" | S. D. Burman | 5:43 |
2 | "Raina Beeti Jaye" | Lata Mangeshkar | 5:20 |
3 | "Chingari Koi Bhadke" | Kishore Kumar | 5:38 |
4 | "Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge" | Kishore Kumar | 4:56 |
5 | "Yeh Kya Hua" | Kishore Kumar | 4:33 |
6 | "Bada Natkhat Hai Yeh" | Lata Mangeshkar | 4:53 |
Reception
Release
Prior to the release of the film, a special show was organised in Delhi, where Gen
Response
Though 1972 was a year of the big films Pakeezah, Dushman and Beimaan,[25] upon its release, Amar Prem was eighth amongst Khanna's top releases in the year.[26] Samanta achieved a hat-trick of hits with Rajesh Khanna, which started with Aradhana (1969) and Kati Patang (1971).[27] The music by R. D. Burman proved one of the best scores of his career,[27] with hits like "Chingaari Koi Bhadke", "Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge", "Yeh Kya Hua" sung by Kishore Kumar and "Raina beeti jaaye" by Lata Mangheskar.
Accolades
Won
- Best Screenplay – Arabinda Mukherjee
- Best Dialogue – Ramesh Pant
- Best Sound Design – Jehangir Nowrojee
Nominated
- Best Actor – Rajesh Khanna
- Best Actress – Sharmila Tagore
- Best Music Director – R. D. Burman
- Best Lyricist – Anand Bakshi for "Chingari Koi Bhadke"
- Best Male Playback Singer – Kishore Kumar for "Chingari Koi Bhadke"
Legacy
After the film's success, the Rajesh Khanna–Sharmila Tagore pair, which had already achieved success in Aradhana (1969), worked again in
In July 2009, after Samanta's death in April of the same year, Amar Prem was the inaugural film of a retrospective on Shakti Samanta Films organised in Delhi.[33]
References
- ^ "Remakes of Bengali films: What's new in this trend? - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "AMAR PREM : Juxtaposing legend and contemporary subtext". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "It's All About Love". The Indian Express. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ "Bollywood will miss wizard of entertainment Shakti Samanta". The Hindu. 10 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ a b "'He wanted Amar Prem to be Rajesh Khanna's best performance'". Rediff Movies. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ a b c Bhattacharjee, p. 56
- ^ Chattopadhyay, p. 96
- ^ "Familiar turn". The Hindu. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ Dinesh Raheja (11 April 2009). "Shakti Samanta his Aradhana came true". MiD DAY. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ a b Chakravarty, p. 295
- ^ a b Burfoot, p. 254
- ^ a b c Sahni, p. 294
- ^ a b Singh, p. 368
- ^ a b c Pradeep Sebastian (5 August 2012). "'Amar Prem': A neglected gem". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ "The Chingaris of Bollywood". Business Line. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ "Mandi or Market, going where the role calls!". The Times of India. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ Patel, p. 178
- ^ Dinesh Raheja. "The Magic of Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila nnd Amar Prem". Rediff Movies. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ISBN 8175080078.
- ^ a b Raju Bharatan (1994). "The Sound of RD's Music". panchamonline, (original The Times of India, 1994). Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ Anantharaman, p. 156
- ^ Shubha Mudgal (14 May 2010). "The soulful Burman". Mint. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ "Top 32: Most loved Bollywood songs of all time". Hindustan Times. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Last goodbye from Pushpa as Bollywood loses Rajesh Khanna". Hindustan Times. 19 July 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ Rajiv Vijayakar (9 March 2012). "Pakeezah one of a kind". The Indian Express. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ Patel, p. 177
- ^ a b "Noted filmmaker Shakti Samanta passes away". The Times of India. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
smash hits, 'Kati Patang' (1970) and 'Amar Prem' (1972).
- ^ Dinesh Raheja (3 May 2013). "Bollywood turns 100: love that lasted". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ "Top 10 most romantic on-screen couples of all time". The Times of India. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ "How Indian cinema evolved over the years". Hindustan Times. 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ Nandini Ramnath (4 May 2013). "100 years, 100 great movie memories: Part 8". Mint. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-84788-589-0.
- ^ "Ambika Soni inaugurates retrospective of Shakti Samanta films". Business of Cinema. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
Bibliography
- Sumita S. Chakravarty (1993). National Identity in Indian Popular Cinema: 1947–1987. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-78985-8.
- Nagendra Kr Singh, ed. (2001). Encyclopaedia of women biography: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vol. 3. A.P.H. Pub. ISBN 8176482617.
- Annette Burfoot; Susan Lord (2006). Killing Women: The Visual Culture of Gender And Violence. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. ISBN 0-88920-497-7.
- Rohini Sahni; V. Kalyan Shankar; Hemant Apte (2008). Prostitution and Beyond: An Analysis of Sex Workers in India. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 978-0-7619-3638-1.
- Sunil Kumar Chattopadhyay (1994). Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyaya. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-7201-578-7.
- Ganesh Anantharaman (2008). Bollywood Melodies: A History of the Hindi Film Song. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-306340-7.
- Bhaichand Patel (2012). "Rajesh Khanna". Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-670-08572-9.
- Anirudha Bhattacharjee; Balaji Vittal (2012). R. D. Burman: The Man, The Music. Harper Collins India. ISBN 978-93-5029-236-5.