New Delhi, July 18: “Pushpa mujhse yeh aasoon nahi dekhe jaate, I hate tears”, Rajesh Khanna’s immortal dialogue plays to one’s heartstrings 50 years after his movie, ‘Amar Prem’s release.
Such is the beloved star’s aura that we continue to miss him even now. Also known as ‘Kaka,’ he was the first superstar of Indian cinema.
In his 40-year-long career, he appeared in 180 films delivering 17 consecutive superhit films, earning him the name of Indian cinema’s first superstar. His 51-year-old box office record, till date remains unbroken. But the charisma of the star goes far beyond being a hit-maker. His films continue to be cherished for their moving dialogues and innocent romance that made the audience swoon.
To honour his legacy and to give viewers a chance to once again relive his ethereal screen magic, Tata Play will stream his top films everyday this month from 1pm to 9pm, to mark his 10th death anniversary.
First is Khamoshi: Khamoshi is a 1969 black and white drama film directed by Asit Sen based on the Bengali short story Nurse Mitra. Khamoshi’s plot revolves around Radha, played by Waheeda Rehman, who works in a hospital and has her heart broken by a patient. Rajesh Khanna’s character, Arun Choudhary, is admitted to this hospital and Radha is assigned to him. The two heartbroken souls bond over their shared past. Khamoshi is also well-known for its excellent black-and-white cinematography.
Then Amar Prem: Amar Prem is a remake of Arabinda Mukherjee’s 1970 Bengali film Nishi Padma.The film is about a schoolboy who is abused by his stepmother and befriends a prostitute next door. Sharmila Tagore plays a prostitute with a golden heart, Rajesh Khanna plays a lonely businessman, and Vinod Mehra plays adult Nandu, the young child for whom they both care.
The film is also noted for its music that is bound to touch your soul.
Lastly Aradhana: Aradhana is an award-winning romantic drama film starring Sharmila Tagore as Vandana and Rajesh Khanna as Arun. Aradhana’s story is set in Darjeeling, where Arun and Vandana fall in love and have a shotgun wedding in the hills. When Arun is killed in an air crash, Vandana’s world comes crashing down around her. Aradhana creates an incredibly durable magic on screen through its characters, story line, lyrics, and music.
Tune into 318 on Tata Play to stream the best of classic cinemas across genres like action, drama, romance and others.
