Neel Kamal (1968 film)

Neel Kamal
Neel Kamal
	File:Neel Kamal (1968 film) Poster.jpg Film poster
Directed by	Ram Maheshwari
Produced by	Pannalal Maheshwari
Written by	Ela Maheshwari; Kidar Sharma; Vinay Chatterjee
Screenplay by	Phani Majumdar
Story by	Gulshan Nanda
Starring	Waheeda Rehman; Manoj Kumar; Raaj Kumar
Music by	Ravi; Sahir Ludhianvi (lyrics)
Cinematography	Fali Mistry
Edited by	D. N. Pai
Production; company	Famous Cine Studios, Tardeo, Mumbai; Kalpanalok
Release date	21 September 1968;
Running time	160 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

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Neel Kamal is a 1968 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller directed by Ram Maheshwari, starring Waheeda Rehman as the eponymous lead, Raaj Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Mehmood, Balraj Sahni, Lalita Pawar and Shashikala.

Neel Kamal received highly positive reviews from critics upon release and proved to be a huge commercial success at the box-office, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 1968.

Neel Kamal received 8 nominations at the 16th Filmfare Awards including Best Film, Best Director (Maheshwari). Best Supporting Actor (Raaj Kumar), Best Supporting Actress (Shashikala) and Best Comedian (Mehmood), and won Best Actress for Rehman, her second win in the category after Guide (1965). Lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi

Plot[edit]

Sita and her friends go on a college trip. Sita sleepwalks and when she is about to be hit by a train on the railway track, Ram saves her. Impressed, her father decides to get her married to him.

After marriage, Sita discovers that her sleepwalking is not the usual kind, as it takes her to the story of her past life.

Chitrasen, an artisan, was in love with the princess Neel Kamal (Sita in her past life). The king rejects his alliance for his daughter and as a punishment, buries him alive. Chitrasen's love for Neel Kamal remained immortal and his soul survives for centuries in hopes to meet her and be with her. One night, while sleep walking, Sita is invited to Chitrasen's burial by a song. Her mother-in-law, a very cross person, believes that Sita is having an affair and gives her a tough time at home along with her sister-in-law Chanchal. Her only supporter in the house is Giridhar, Chanchal's husband, who is a ghar jamai and saves her from committing suicide with the help of a Pujari (David). Sita's father also comes in search of his daughter at Ram's house to whom he clarified her sickness of sleepwalking several times earlier. Now the family prepares for a second marriage of Ram after Girdhar informs them that Sita is dead, but Giridhar secretly informs Ram that Sita is alive and now pregnant. One night while traveling by train, she stops the train by pulling the chain at the same Chitrapur station. Sita reaches Chitrasen's place and they have a brief past conversation with his immortal soul. Finally, Chitrasen's soul becomes free and Sita falling unconscious. Ram rescues her and they live happily ever after.

Cast[edit]

Waheeda Rehman as Rajkumari Neel Kamal / Sita
Manoj Kumar as Ram
Raaj Kumar as Chitrasen
Lalita Pawar as Thakurain
Mehmood as Girdhar Gopal Agarwal
Shashikala as Chanchal
Balraj Sahni as Mr. Raichand
Ramayan Tiwari
P. Jairaj
David Abraham as Guruji
Murad as Emperor
Chhaya
Nasreen
Nandini
Gopal Sehgal
Jagdish Raj
Ruby Mayer as Dean of the girls' college
Mumtaz Begum
Sheela R.
Sophia
Shenaaz
Apsara
Abhimanyu Sharma
Rajan Kapoor
Nazir Kashmiri
V.P. Verma
Dev Chand
Shribhagwan
Bhushan Tiwari
Vijay Maria

Soundtrack[edit]

The soundtrack of Neel Kamal were composed by Ravi Shankar Sharma and lyrics were provided by Sahir Ludhianvi. The soundtrack is widely notable for the song, "Baabul Ki Duaayein Leti Jaa", which became an instant hit and would often be dubbed in many South Asian wedding videos from the 1970s to the '90s, during the actual bidaai ritual (the departure of the bride from her parental house) by videographers. As the song was overtly sentimental, its use as a bidaai soundtrack eventually phased out from the mid-90's and was replaced by subtler modern soundtracks.

The song was sung by Mohammed Rafi.

Track	Song	Performed By	Lyrics
1	"Rom Rom Mein Basne Waale Ram"	Asha Bhosle	Sahir Ludhianvi
2	"Aaja Tujhko Pukare Mera Pyar"	Mohammad Rafi	Sahir Ludhianvi
3	"Yeh Zindagi Jo Ab Tak Thi Teri"	Asha Bhosle	Sahir Ludhianvi
4	"Baabul Ki Duaayein Leti Jaa"	Mohammad Rafi	Sahir Ludhianvi
5	"Sharma Ke Yun Na Dekh"	Mohammed Rafi	Sahir Ludhianvi
6	"Dono Ke Vichkar Lagta"	Asha Bhosle	Sahir Ludhianvi
7	"Khali Dabba Khali Botal"	Manna Dey	Sahir Ludhianvi