''Ladla'' (

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

for "Beloved Son") is a 1954 Bollywood film that was produced and distributed by Varma Films. It was directed by Surya Kumar and written by Balkrishna Mauj. ''Ladla''’s plot revolved around a

love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...

involving two men, Prakash and Motilal, who fall in love with the same woman, Neelu. The film showcased notable actors of the time, including

Karan Dewan Karan Dewan (born Dewan Karan Chopra; 6 November 1917 – 2 August 1979) was an Indian cinema actor in Hindi films. He worked in over seventy films from 1939 to 1979. He started as a journalist while still in college, editing a film-based magaz ...

, Shyama and Agha. Adding to ''Ladla''’s cinematic significance were the film's songs, featuring the voices of prominent playback singers such as

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...

Talat Mahmood Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered as one of the greatest and most popular Indian male film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a g ...

Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...

, and

Shamshad Begum Shamshad Begum (Urdu: شمشاد بیگم, IAST: ''Śamśād Bēgam''; 14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013) was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry. Notable for her distinctive voice and range, sh ...

. Most importantly, in light of the widespread belief that songs are vital to the commercial success of Indian films, ''Ladla'' derives its cinematic importance from the fact that its songs were composed by the famous Hindi film music director Vinod. Vinod's work on ''Ladla'' is considered among his best-known creations, contributing to the film's appeal during the Golden Age of Hindi Cinema, where filmmakers sought to create an enhanced cinematic experience by combining compelling storytelling with memorable songs. Despite its status as a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

with no extant copies, the movie's songs—key to an Indian film's popularity—can still be heard today.

Plot

Prakash, the protagonist in this film, is the son of a very wealthy man, and the beloved son of the family. When Prakash decides he wants to be an independent person, he gives up his extravagant lifestyle and together with his friend Johnny moves to Bombay, where he gets himself a job and begins a new life. In Bombay, Prakash meets Neelu and the two of them fall in love. Surprisingly, a love triangle does not emerge between Prakash, Neelu and Johnny. Instead, Johnny befriends Sheelu and they too fall in love. All seems to be going well for all four of them, until Motilal enters the picture. Like Prakash, Motilal is also madly in love with Neelu. Things become even more complicated when Prakash visits Motilal at his home where, after looking at several photographs, Prakash realises that Motilal is his long-lost brother. The plot in ''Ladla'' progresses with the resolution of the conflict that arises in a love triangle when two brothers are in love with the same woman.

Cast

The roles played by the three participants in the love triangle as well as others are shown below: *

as Prakash * Shyama as Neelu * Agha as Johnny *Krishnakumari as Sheelu *S. Nazeer as Motilal * Jeevan *

Raj Mehra Raj Mehra (born 20 May 1913 – 10 April 1993) was an Indian character artist and film actor in Hindi language films, especially known for his role as a father of leading actors. During his career, he worked in over 300 Hindi films. Some of hi ...

*Dev Kishan

Soundtrack

Music was composed by Vinod, while Kaif Ifrani, Balkrishna Mauj, and

Raja Mehdi Ali Khan Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (23 September 1915 – 29 July 1966) was an Indian poet, writer and a lyricist. Early life and career Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was born in 1915 into a Punjabi Rajput family of the Janjua clan, Mehdi Ali lost his father when he ...

wrote the lyrics.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, tt0379347, Ladla Lost Indian films 1950s lost films 1950s Hindi-language films 1950s Indian films Indian drama films 1954 drama films Indian black-and-white films