| Brief Description: | 'Aradhana' has a special place in Hindi film history. For, this was the musical blockbuster that sent superstar Rajesh Khanna's fortunes zooming
skyward. Moreover, it established the 'soft, romantic hero' image Khanna was to preserve through most of the 1970s.
Significantly, this film also marked the beginning of Khanna's long and fruitful association with Shakti Samanta and Sharmila Tagore.
The story opens against the backdrop of idyllic hilly terrain with airforce officer Amar (Rajesh Khanna) crooning "Mere sapno ki rani" atop an open jeep, while Vandana (Sharmila Tagore) demurely sneaks glances at him from a mini train.
After a brief romance, they have a secret wedding, following the imaginatively picturised number "Roop tera mastana", which was apparently
shot in a single take!
Soon after though, Amar dies in an air crash leaving behind a heartbroken and pregnant Vandana. His family refuses to accept the unwed mother-to-be since her marriage with Arun is never formalised.
Vandana is finally forced to let a childless couple adopt her newborn son. But determined to be a part of his life, she accepts the responsibility of
becoming his nanny.
The son grows up (Rajesh Khanna) to become an air force pilot like his father. Eventually he finds out the truth about his parents and gives his
mother her rightful place in his life.
'Aradhana' does have more than a touch of melodrama. But it also brings along a remarkably fresh experience with its unique brand of feel-good
romance.
Whether it is the unforgettable Lata-Kishore duet, "Kora kaagaz tha yeh man mera", or the chirpy "Baagon mein bahaar hai", picturised on the son and his fiancée (Farida Jalal), S D Burman's music weaves itself into the story most effortlessly. Particularly notable is his own rendition of the poignant "Safal hogi teri aradhana" which fetched him a National Award. Rajesh Khanna plays the happy-go-lucky, spirited hero to perfection.
Sharmila Tagore does even better, essaying Vandana's journey from being a dreamy-eyed girl to the unfortunate widow who has to watch her son accepting another woman as his mother, and finally a tired but contented old lady who can throw off her guard at last.
No wonder then, that 'Aradhana' has stood the test of time and remains an evergreen romance to this day. |
