His contribution to Hindi cinema is huge, says Ashim Samanta of his father, the legendary Shakti Samanta

The Lonavala International Film Festival India (LIFFI) is celebrating some well-known films of the late producer-director Shakti Samanta.

Samanta's popular works include hits such as Howrah Bridge (1958), China Town (1962), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), An Evening In Paris (1967), Aradhana (1969), Kati Patang (1971), Amar Prem (1972), Amanush (1974) and Anurodh (1977).

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In all his films, Samanta worked with the biggest stars of the time like Ashok Kumar, Madhubala, Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Rajesh Khanna, Asha Parekh, Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman and Mithun Chakraborty.

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As a tribute to the filmmaker, LIFFI is screening some of his biggest hits — An Evening In Paris, Kashmir Ki Kali, China Town, Aradhana, Amar Prem, Kati Patang, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat and Amanush.

Samanta’s son Ashim is introducing a few of the films at the festival, which is being held virtually on the Plexigo app, recalling memorable moments from the shoots and sharing some behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Speaking about the selection, Ashim said, “All these are very good films with lovely entertainment and lovely songs.” He added that the films are all "so fabulous", it’s hard for one to pick a favourite.

Going down memory lane, Ashim recalled an incident that took place before the shooting of Aradhana and said the blockbuster was almost shelved by his father!

“Just before the shooting was to start, my father was sitting in his office and [screenwriters] Gulshan Nanda and Madhusudan Kalelkar were sitting and chatting with him. Surinder Kapoor uncle, that is Boney Kapoor’s father, also had his office there and he and Dad were good friends. He would consult Dad about his films and he said to Dad, ‘My climax [of his film] is ready and I’m seeing it. Would you please come and see it and give me your feedback?’

"Dad saw the two reels and was stunned and upset, saying, ‘How the hell did Sachin [Bhowmick, the writer of Aradhana] do this to me?’ He told Gulshan Nanda that the climax of Kapoor’s film and of Aradhana were the same!

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“He called up Bhowmick who said the climax was only slightly similar, but when you see the whole movie, it is totally different. Dad said, ‘What nonsense! It is similar and I cannot make this movie.’ He asked Gulshan Nanda and Madhusudan Kalelkar if they had another story that was absolutely ready because he had Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore’s dates and he did not want to waste them.

"Gulshan Nanda then narrated Kati Patang. It was decided that Aradhana is scrapped and Kati Patang is to be made.”

However, not quite convinced, Nanda and Kalelkar asked to hear the story of Aradhana. Once they did, they thought it was really good and decided to work on the climax and change it. “All three sat down and changed the entire second half of Aradhana in one night, which turned out excellent!" Ashim said. "It was on that fateful day that Aradhana and Kati Patang were born.

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"Aradhana in its original form may not have been such a huge hit. I’m not 100% sure, but I think Rajesh Khanna’s double role came up in that discussion. So it was that day which started with disappointment and ended up becoming a golden day!”

Both Aradhana and Kati Patang went on to become blockbusters, making Rajesh Khanna the first superstar of Hindi cinema.

Both films also echoed the socially conscious ethos seen in many of Shakti Samanta’s works and saw finer nuances in the characters, which resonated with the audience.

“He used to keep Saratchandra’s novels all the time in his head," Ashim Samanta explained. "Whenever he got the opportunity, in a spare moment, he would be reading Saratchandra. I asked him one day how many times he had read his novels because there were about 20. He replied, ‘I must have read them about 10 times each.’

"He used to tell me to read them all the time. He told me that he took those finer emotions from Saratchandra’s novels; that was his source of inspiration for those emotional moments and the finer points of the characters, those little moments that make a film fabulous.”

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As a child, Ashim was fortunate enough to be a part of the shooting of most of his father’s films and recalls those moments fondly.

“During the shooting of Kashmir Ki Kali," he said, "we were there for an entire month because we had summer vacations! I was just ten years old but I recall quite a lot of the shooting.

"For An Evening In Paris, I did not go overseas since there were a lot of restrictions, but I was part of the shooting of the songs here. I remember the two songs shot here, 'Zuby Zuby Zalembu' and 'Le Ja Le Ja Le Ja Mera Dil'.

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"For Aradhana again, we went to Darjeeling and Manali and I remember the shooting of scenes there.”

Shakti Samanta died in 2002 and to commemorate his life and work, his films were showcased at various places, including Delhi. “After Dad passed away, the Directorate of Film Festivals organized a festival of three or four films of his and those were so well received," Ashim recalled. "They had a show of Howrah Bridge for students from a film school in Delhi and they told me that the students were totally bowled over.”

In fact, every time these films are screened even today, they draw big crowds, cementing the fact that these films remain evergreen and continue to appeal to younger audiences. The screening of the films together at LIFFI is undoubtedly a treat for cinema lovers to not only watch their favourite classics but also to hum along with the iconic songs that are still fresh in popular memory.

Besides their mass appeal, Shakti Samanta’s films had a huge impact on Hindi cinema. Contemplating the legacy of his father’s films many years after they were made, Ashim said, “His contribution to Hindi cinema is huge. I would consider him among the 20 or 25 iconic filmmakers in the last 110 years. I feel very fortunate to be born as his son.”

LIFFI is being held virtually over three weekends from 24 September till 10 October on the Plexigo app.