The golden era of Bollywood
Take a look at some of the most memorable films of Bollywood.
Take a look at some of the most memorable films of Bollywood.
Aradhana (1969)
Director: Shakti Samanta
Cast: Sharmila Tagore, Rajesh Khanna, Sujit Kumar, Farida Jalal
Aradhana was the lucky charm of both Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. Tagore won her first Filmfare and Khanna became a superstar overnight. Kishore Kumar also won his first Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award for the hit song 'Roop Tera Mastana'.
An Evening In Paris (1967)
Director: Shakti Samantha
Cast: Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Pran
The film is remembered for demure Sharmila Tagore wearing bikini on the silver screen for the first time and Shammi Kapoor singing romantic song hanging from a helicopter. Its songs gained immense popularity.
Mera Saaya (1966)
Director: Raj Khosla
Cast: Sunil Dutt, Sadhana, Prem Chopra
Sunil Dutt and Sadhana both gave exemplary performances in this tale of mystery, romance and thrill where a dead woman comes back to her husband. The film gave Bollywood some of it's best music like the title track Mera Saaya, Naino Mein Badra Chhaya and Jhumka Gira Re.
Teesri Manzil (1966)
Director: Vijay Anand
Cast: Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh
The story revolves around a girl who thinks a nightclub singeris responsible for her sister's murder, but ends up falling in love with him. Vijay Anand's vision of a Hitchcock style thriller with R D Burman's lovely score makes it a must see classic.
Ram Aur Shyam (1967)
Director: Tapi Chanakya
Cast: Dilip Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Mumtaz, Pran
The first movie about identical twins separated at birth and brought up as dramatically different persons, Ram Aur Shyam became the inspiration of several future movies. Seeta Aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz and Kishen Kanhaiya.
Sangam (1964)
Director: Raj Kapoor
Cast: Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kuamr, Vyjantimala
Sangam began the trend of shooting films in picturesque locales abroad. It was also the first to incorporate an English song, I Love You, into a Hindi film. Sangam was Raj Kapoor's first movie in colour and was a complicated love triangle.
Guide (1965)
Director: Vijay Anand
Cast: Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Leela Chitnis
The Anand brothers' stunning adaptation of R K Narayan's novel was made in two versions - an English one in collaboration with famous author Pearl S Buck to introduce Dev Anand to Western audiences and a Hindi version for India. Considered one of Dev Anand's best films, Guide won seven Filmfare Awards that year and indeed won Dev Anand a special place on world cinema map. Waheeda Rehman's role as troubled dancer Rosie was also among her best.
Mere Mehboob
Director: Harnam Singh
Cast: Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana, Nimmi, Ashok Kumar, Pran, Johnny Walker
The film shows the romance, the mannerisms and the culture of the contemporary muslim society in the most splendid manner. It tells the story of a poor poet who falls in love with a burqa clad girl after bumping into her at college, but cannot identify her because he has only seen her hands. Its intensely romantic songs made it even more popular.
Do Bigha Zameen (1953)
Director: Bimal Roy
Cast: Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Ratan Kumar, Jagdeep, Murad, Nana Palsikar and Meena Kumari
The film was inspired by Italian filmmaker Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves(1948). A grim portrayal of the socio-economic conditions, the film was the first to win the Filmfare Best Movie Award and the first Indian film to win the International Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Shree 420 (1955)
Director: Raj Kapoor
Cast: Raj Kapoor, Nargis and Nadira
Raj Kapoor again imitates Charlie Chaplin, the little tramp and in the film he is in the role of a country boy seduced by the glamor of the big city. The song Mera Joota Hai Japani became hugely popular and a patriotic symbol of independent India. And another one' Pyar Hua...' is rated among the top romantic songs of all times.
Mother India (1957)
Director: Mehboob Khan
Cast: Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar
A remake of Mehboob Khan's 1940 film, Aurat, Mother India topped all charts of success and is considered the classic of all classics. It is the story of Radha, a poverty-stricken woman abandoned by her husband, her arduous and brave journey of raising her sons, and the moral choices she has to make, Mother India was the first film to put India on the world map. The film won numerous national and international awards.
Naya Daur (1957)
Director: B R Chopra
Cast: Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Ajit, Chand Usmani and Jeevan
The economic evolution of India saw many changes, pleasant and unpleasant. Naya Daur gave expression to this trouble by picking up the plight of small town tongawallahs who's livelihood is threatened when the son of a rich landlord starts a bus service.
Pyaasa (1957)
Director: Guru Dutt Cast: Guru Dutt, Mala Sinha, Waheeda Rehman, Johnny Walker and Rehman
Pyaasa tells the story of struggling poet and his attempt to establish himself in a corrupt and materialistic world. Often rated among world's top 100 classics, it is loosely based lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi's failed romance with author Amrita Pritam.
Awaara (1951)
Director: Raj Kapoor
Cast: Prithviraj Kapoor, Nargis, Raj Kapoor, Leela Chitnis, K N Singh and Shashi Kapoor
Directed and produced by Bollywood's showman Raj Kapoor, Awaara became an overnight hit not just in India but in half of the world. The film featured four of the Kapoors- Prithviraj and Raj Kapoor played father and son on-screen, and Shashi Kapoor played the role of young Raj. His grandfather, Dewan Bashwanath Kapoor, appeared in a cameo role. The film was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953.