Shakti Samanta’s Amar Prem, an ode to unrequited love — 50th anniversary special

Shakti Samanta’s Amar Prem, a remake of the Bengali film Nishipadma (The Night Flower, 1970) which starred Uttam Kumar and Sabitri Chatterjee, remains one of the few films in mainstream cinema to explore the concept of sublime love.

In the Hindi film, Pushpa (Sharmila Tagore) is the archetypal sex worker with a heart of gold. Ill-treated by her husband and misunderstood by her mother and relatives, she was duped by a seemingly kind uncle who abandoned her at a brothel after promising to help her gain employment.

Struck by one misfortune after another, she finds her footing in the bordello and a kind man, Anand Babu (Rajesh Khanna), is captivated by her mellifluous singing. Becoming a regular visitor, he hides his pain behind his winsome smile, solving people’s problems and helping them out, even when his own life is in ruin.

By his own admission, he hates tears, preferring to drink away his sorrows instead. He finds solace and companionship in Pushpa, who does not ask him about his personal affairs until much later. Together, the two of them are companions, fellow-sufferers in a life that has mostly been a road strewn with thorns.  

In the brothel, Pushpa bonds with a young boy Nandu, who is mistreated by his stepmother (Bindu). Finding a surrogate mother in Pushpa, he risks his mother’s scolding and comes to meet the sex worker regularly.

Together, Pushpa, Anand Babu and Nandu form an alternative nuclear family, not bound by blood but emotions. Pushpa sacrifices herself for others constantly and despite cruel twists of fate, she accepts what comes her way.

Just as Aradhana (1969) featured an older Tagore, Amar Prem also ages the protagonists, so we know what happens to them years later. The three of them are reunited but Anand Babu is a changed man. He has accepted that sorrow and tears are a part of life and needs to be accepted instead of shunned.

Through the character of Pushpa, Samanta mobilizes the symbolism of Goddess Durga to comment on the position of sex workers in society.

As per tradition, a sculptor in the film prepares idols of the goddess for Durga Puja which mandates the use of mud from a sex worker's garden. Taking some mud, he folds his hands in front of the sex workers there, calling them goddesses. This theme is echoed throughout the film, while we also see the extreme stigmatization that Pushpa faces for her profession.

She is innocent, pious and a sacrificing mother-figure. We see the elaborate mandir (shrine) that she has in her home, along with numerous scenes of her praying. For the two men in her life, she is like a goddess who provides them solace.

Interestingly, we aren’t told much about Anand Babu’s wife, nor do we see her. We only know that she has no time for her husband and loves attending parties!  As he tells his friend, who expresses shock that the wife goes to a hair salon, “Modern age, modern housewife, figure maintenance, hair dressing etc etc." Anand longs for a more traditional wife, one who is home to feed and dote on her husband. Although this definition of a wife may not hold water in today’s times, in essence, Anand longs for a caring and loving partner, which he finds in Pushpa.

The poignant story is elevated by soulful music that captures the sublimity of the love that the protagonists share. 'Kuch Toh Log Kahenge', 'Chingari Koi Bhadke', 'Yeh Kya Hua, Kaise Hua' and 'Raina Beeti Jaye' are all moving melodies, along with 'Doli Mein Beethaye Ke', sung by SD Burman.

Speaking about the film in an interview, Samanta recalled that he had read the Bengali short story Hinger Kochuri by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay and realized that a film had already been made on it in Bengali. However, he was so moved by the story that he decided to make it in Hindi. "Amar Prem doesn't mean that everybody should meet. The separation, the last portion of the film, was so beautiful and I said, 'Yes, let me make it',” he said.

Sharmila Tagore was extremely keen on doing the role and despite not having any dates, the filmmaker worked around Khanna’s dates to get him on board. Pushpa’s character is indeed a role written for Tagore, who looks stunning and skilfully balances seductive charm with virtue, holding our attention through her trials and tribulations.

In an interview quoted on the website masala.com, Tagore recounted the making of the film, “This was one of those films that just turned out right. We were not looking at the box office. We just felt emotionally connected to the characters. The film became a hit and it continues to be liked by new generations. That’s the magic of the story. Also, I’d say a major reason for the film’s success was RD Burman’s music and Anand Bakshi’s lyrics. The music and the words carried the story forward.”

The premiere of the film in New Delhi was attended by Field Marshal Manekshaw and the following day, the 1971 Indo-Pak war broke out. The film was finally released on 28 January 1972, becoming a big hit. It was also the third hit of Samanta with Khanna, after Aradhana and Kati Patang (1971).