ShangLuda Admirable film.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Sanjeev Waters A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

sanjayppc Amar Prem will go down in history as one of the best Indian films ever made. It is superbly directed by Shakti Shamantha (his best effort).The film takes a look at how society views women who have been forced into the sex trade. Their sensitivities, insecurities etc., are so beautifully touched upon.The music of the film is by R.D Buraman, a Kaka favorite. All the songs are gems. Specially the "Chingari koi badke" song.Sharmila tagore has mentioned how Kaka had so masterfully performed in this song in the very limited space they had i.e in a small boat.It is a lifetime role for sharmila tagore & she makes full use of it. She surely deserved the national award & it is a wonder how she missed it.The supporting star cast of Madan Puri, Vinod Mehra & Om Prakash are adequate.Coming to the hero of the film, the eternal superstar Rajesh khanna. He was at his zenith when this film released.It was reported that when the film crew asked for police permission to shoot the "Chingari koi badke" song near the howrah bridge, the police denied permission stating that they would not be able to control the crowds & that the bridge may collapse. Eventually, the song was shot in a studio set. Such was the popularity Rajesh commanded.In spite of his super stardom, as is his wont, he did not think twice about accepting this role knowing fully well that this film centers around the heroine. The beauty is he comes out unscathed. He looks handsome in his Bengali dhoti & underplays superbly. The end scenes specially show kaka at his best.Definitely a film which comes in the top 3 of kaka's films & eternally loved by Rajesh khanna fans.Watch it over & over again. You will never feel bored.

jmathur_swayamprabha The first and the real superstar of Bollywood has passed away. Rajesh Khanna took his last breath in Aashirwaad (his residence) today (18.07.2012). Fondly known as Kaka, Rajesh Khanna commanded an era in Bollywood, a short but unforgettable era during 1969-1971. Just three years ! Yes, but the magic they created lasted forever. It is still there and makes us plunge into nostalgia time and again. Amar Prem (immortal love) is based on a Bengali story - Nishipadma penned by Bibhuti Bhushan Bandhyopadhyay. It's is the story of Pushpa (Sharmila Tagore) who gets expelled from her Sasuraal (in-law's home) and has to struggle a lot in her life. Finally, she has to take up the profession of a woman who sings privately at her home to entertain the gloomy visitors. She is not a prostitute but this profession is seen by the so-called clean society as a dirty profession only and the women who take to it are seen in a degraded way. The place where Pushpa resides and professes is actually a Kotha, not a brothel. She sells her melodious voice to enable the aggrieved to find solace through that and does not sell her sexual favours as a woman. However the judgmental society is not ready to differentiate between the two.Among the visitors to Pushpa's Kotha, there's a tender-hearted businessman - Anand Babu (Rajesh Khanna) who is an alcoholic due to the lack of peace in his family life. He and Pushpa comes pretty close in the platonic way. There appears one more source of happiness and enthusiasm in Pushpa's dry life in the form of a little boy Nandu who is the son of her neighbour (Sujit Kumar) and always remains distressed through the bad behaviour of his step-mother (Bindu). He does not stop visiting Pushpa despite being prohibited from his home for that because he is getting motherly love from that lonely woman.Anand Babu's family's coming to know of his visits to Pushpa and Nandu's family's leaving the place snatch these small joys too from Pushpa and she falls lonely again. However, years later she happens to come across both Anand Babu and adult Nandu (Vinod Mehra) and her loneliness and agony ends at least in the dusk time of her life when Nandu takes her to his home as his mother.The character of Pushpa is the soul of the movie and the spectator's journey through the entire movie runs alongside her only. Anand Babu's character is not essential for the main story but the thing is that it only infuses the colours of life into the dry narrative. It's through him only that the significance of platonic relationships is underscored emphatically in the movie. Pushpa's agony is felt only in part through herself. Partly, it's conveyed through the character of Anand Babu and that's the beauty of this movie and the relationship between the lead pair. Such relationships cannot be named or explained through words. They can be understood properly only when somebody is able to feel them.The Bengali society of the period of the story and the status of women has been dealt with quite realistically in the story. And that's why the movie also contains quite impressive and moving sequences. However Shakti Saamanta could not do complete justice to the classic story. This movie could have been much better, had more attention been paid to screenplay and direction. However the day has been saved by performances and music. Let me discuss its music first which contains lyrics penned by Anand Bakshi and tunes composed by R.D. Burman. It contains two memorable songs of Lata Mangeshkar - 1. Raina Beeti Jaaye, Shyam Na Aaye which is based on Raaga Todi and 2. Bada Natkhat Hai Re Krishna Kanhaiya which is touching song filled with motherly love. However the music of this movie is better known for three invaluable gems in the voice of Kishore Kumar - 1. Ye Kya Hua, Kaise Hua, Kab Hua, Kyun Hua, Jab Hua, Tab Hua, Ho Chhodo Ye Na Socho, 2. Chingaari Koi Bhadake To Saawan Usse Bujhaaye, 3. Kuchh To Log Kahenge Logon Ka Kaam Hai Kehna. Performances are also great. The supporting cast has done well, the child artist playing the role of young Nandu has delivered a heart-conquering performance and Vinod Mehra as adult Nandu is also up to the mark in his cameo. However, it's the lead pair which has taken this movie to the heights greater than it actually deserves. The character of Pushpa is the heart and soul of the story and Sharmila Tagore has delivered one of the best performances of her career in this movie. Her on-screen chemistry with Rajesh Khanna was amazing and that's why she made one of the most popular on-screen pairs with him.Rajesh Khanna is at his mannerismic best in this movie. His trademark jerk of the neck, peculiar dialogue-delivery, smile, style; everything is present here in the most loud way. And perhaps this was the peak of the success of his gimmicks which could go down only later. Anyway, in this movie, he is just lovable and it's easy to understand why he was so popular. No other actor can be imagined in the unforgettable character of Anand Babu.This movie is a treat to watch for lovers of golden oldies. Kaka is no more but Anand Babu will live forever. People have said a lot about Kaka's failure in later years but I repeat for the departed soul - Kuchh To Log Kahenge, Logon Ka Kaam Hai Kehna ...

Peter Young Heartwarming is a word which would best describe Shakti Samanta's Amar Prem. The film is about love, humanity, compassion, and how all these terms are condemned by the cruel society of those times. This is the story of Pushpa, a young woman who runs away from her husband's house after the latter marries again and starts abusing her. She is later brought to a brothel in Calcutta by her village-uncle. There she starts singing while all the passers-by walk and get enchanted by her voice. That's her new job, and there she meets Mr Anand, a young bitter and unhappily married man whose wife does not even care about. Another man from the same village she comes from named Sharma resides close to Pushpa's house. There she meets the little boy Nandu, Sharma's son from his first deceased wife, who is maltreated by his stepmother while his father is at work. A great relationship grows between Pushapa and Anand, and even a greater mother-son relationship grows between Pushapa and Nandu. But the cruel society won't leave it at that.Amar Prem is a melodramatic movie, but it is a beautiful and sincere melodrama, not a clichéd one. The relationships in this movie are superbly portrayed, my favourite relationship being the one between Pushapa and Nandu. Samanta uses symbolism to illustrate the story. The film is good in writing, dialogues, music and acting. RD Burman's music never disappoints. Where acting goes, this is Sharmila Tagore's movie and she kind of reprises her role in Aradhana, that of a selfless and caring woman, who epitomises Indian feminine beauty. She is indeed beautiful and convincing throughout the movie. Rajesh Khanna is excellent as Anand and does particularly well in the film's final sequences. The child actor who plays Nandu is wonderful. Vinod Mehra does very well as the older Nandu. Amar Prem is a worthy film. It is both moving and enjoyable, and should be a real cinematic treat for lovers of classic Hindi cinema.

Vishal Agrawal A village girl Pushpa is turned away by her in-laws and her own family. A friend sells her to a brothel where she is frequented by Anand. Anand is married but he finds peace with Pushpa. As the fate has it Pushpa's relative Sharma moves in the same locality as Pushpa. She tries to find some love from the family but is too contaminated for a 'respected' society now. The film is broadly about how every human-being long for 'love' and still how rare it is to be loved. This movie is divine. I have no other word for it. It's a fantastic combination of concept, story line, execution and acting. I see this film in the same league as 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili' because the woes of the protagonist are the same still it is completely different. RTGM is more a socio-political statement while this film works at a very personal level. Pushpa and her longing for love is just too heart breaking. Everyone she loves disappear at some point or the other. In her later years she takes care of her dying husband. The paradox of the situation is very interesting because through out the film you see young Pushpa as a prostitute. The way Shakti Samantha has handled the death of her husband scene is brilliant. She goes to the river with a very clean and expressionless face; she uses a small rock and just gets rid of the bangles. Nandu is the high point of the film. Pushpa cannot have a family and so she tries to find a son in Nandu who is ill-treated by his step mom. Pushpa shares the pain of longing for a son with Anand who is supposed to be her lover but obviously they can't marry and have children. The character of Anand is also brilliant as he is not just a neutral character.Rajesh Khanna is brilliant in this film but it's a Sharmila Tagore film. She has given an Oscar performance. Rajesh Khanna has also given an Oscar performance. Must mention the name of the genius because of who this film is sure to go down in the history of Indian Cinema. Mr. Rahul Deb Burman. Amar-Prem is unarguably the best Indian soundtrack ever recorded. Kishore Kumar in his prime, opening credits by SD Burman and poignant poetry by Anand Bakshi. I feel like writing about 'THE' KK but that would be jazz. Of course we all know how much we miss him everyday. Shakti Samantha has created a masterpiece. A must watch. 10/10.