In the history of Hindi cinema, a handful of films do far more than simply succeed at the box office, they settle permanently into the hearts of generations. Their stories are so moving that repeated viewings never feel like enough, and each watch delivers a fresh emotion. A film released 57 years ago belongs firmly to that rare list, and it transformed the careers of not one but two legends. That film was 'Aradhana', which arrived in cinemas on 7 November 1969.
The song that made Kishore Kumar an overnight star
The film's most talked-about number was 'Roop Tera Mastana, Pyar Mera Deewana', sung by Kishore Kumar in his own distinctive style. What makes it fascinating is that composer SD Burman had originally created a different tune, which Kishore Kumar reshaped into a far more melodious version. That reworked melody became so popular that the song turned immortal, and Kishore Kumar shot to fame as a leading playback singer almost overnight. The same film also gave Hindi cinema its first genuine superstar in Rajesh Khanna.
The story behind the tune of 'Roop Tera Mastana'
Kishore Kumar's son Amit Kumar once shared an interesting anecdote about this song at a stage show. According to him, the tune was initially very odd and difficult, and the number was extremely slow. While SD Burman was teaching it, Kishore da simply did not take to the melody. At that very moment he recalled an old Bengali song of Burman da's that closely resembled it, namely 'Eto kachhe dujone, prem bhara jo bune, hothat bhule bhul na hoy jaye'. When Kishore Kumar reminded the composer of this song, Burman da was delighted, and the number took on a new shape.
Two hits born from foreign stories
'Aradhana' was directed and produced by Shakti Samanta. Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore played the leads, while Sujit Kumar, Farida Jalal and Kishore Kumar's elder brother Ashok Kumar appeared in important roles. The story was written by Sachin Bhowmick and was inspired by the 1946 American film 'To Each His Own'. Curiously, Sachin first narrated this story to Hrishikesh Mukherjee, but when Hrishikesh da was unable to make it, the same idea reached Shakti Samanta. The film was first titled 'Subah Pyar Ki', which was later changed on SD Burman's suggestion.
Two scripts locked in one single night
The making of 'Aradhana' is a story in itself, because the plot had to be changed at the very last moment. As it happened, Shakti Samanta, writer Gulshan Nanda and Madhusudan Kalelkar were sitting together at Famous Studio. During this meeting, Anil Kapoor's father, producer Surendra Kapoor, arrived and requested them to watch the final reel of his film 'Ek Shriman, Ek Shrimati'. Seeing that final stretch left Shakti Samanta stunned, because it matched the story of 'Aradhana' almost exactly. The reason was clear, both films had been written by the same Sachin Bhowmick. This left Shakti Samanta deeply annoyed and worried.
In this difficult situation he turned to Gulshan Nanda for help. After hearing the plot of 'Aradhana', Gulshan Nanda suggested that the hero play a double role, an idea Shakti Samanta liked, and the climax was rewritten with several changes. On top of that, during the same meeting Gulshan Nanda also narrated the story of 'Kati Patang'. In this way, the scripts of both films were finalised in one single night. The two films released roughly two years apart, 'Aradhana' on 7 November 1969 and 'Kati Patang' on 29 January 1971. 'Aradhana' made history the moment it released, while 'Kati Patang' too was widely loved by audiences and proved to be a hit.
Music that ruled the decade
The music of 'Aradhana' was composed by SD Burman, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi, and RD Burman played a major part in shaping the tunes. The film had a total of 7 songs, and every one of them was a superhit. The soundtrack went on to become the best-selling music of that entire decade. Its popular numbers included 'Roop Tera Mastana', 'Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Aayegi Tu', 'Kora Kagaz Tha Ye Man Mera', 'Chanda Hai Tu Mera Sooraj Hai Tu', 'Safal Hogi Teri Aradhana', 'Gun Guna Rahe Hain Bhanware' and 'Baghon Mein Bahar Hai'.
When a mouth organ replaced the guitar
The song 'Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Aayegi Tu' carries its own interesting tale. As it turned out, one guitarist simply could not get the rhythm of the number right. At that time Shakti Samanta was in Darjeeling with his entire team, waiting for the song. RD Burman then played a mouth organ in place of the guitar. The result was that the song not only became a superhit, but every musical piece in it caught on with listeners.
Record earnings and a sweep at the Filmfare awards
'Aradhana' was Rajesh Khanna's first film with Shakti Samanta, and it was this film that made him a superstar overnight. It was also the first film to bring together the pairing of Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. The film's net collection stood at around 3.5 crore rupees, making it the highest-earning film of 1969. It won three Filmfare awards, with Shakti Samanta taking Best Film, Sharmila Tagore winning Best Actress, and Kishore Kumar receiving Best Playback Male Singer for 'Roop Tera Mastana'.
'Kati Patang' takes stardom to a new height
'Kati Patang', on the other hand, pushed Rajesh Khanna's stardom to an altogether different level. It was a heroine-driven film in which Rajesh Khanna shared the screen with Asha Parekh, Prem Chopra, Bindu and Nazir Hussain, all of whom showcased their acting prowess. The story was by Gulshan Nanda, while the dialogues were written by Vrajendra Gaud. It was inspired by Cornell Woolrich's 1948 novel 'I Married a Dead Man'. The music was composed by RD Burman and proved to be a blockbuster. Its superhit songs included 'Pyar Deewana Hota Hai, Mastana Hota Hai', 'Ye Shaam Mastani, Madhosh Kiye Ja', 'Ye Jo Mohabbat Hai, Unka Hai Kaam' and 'Na Koi Umang Hai, Na Koi Tarang Hai'. These lyrics too were penned by Anand Bakshi, and the film turned out to be a massive hit.
