''Shehzada'' () is a 1972
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
produced by
Surinder Kapoor and directed by
K. Shankar, set during the
British Raj
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule ...
. The film stars
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
and
Raakhee as the lead pair and the supporting cast included Veena,
Pandari Bai
Pandari Bai (18 September 1928 – 29 January 2003) was an Indian actress who worked in South Indian cinema, mostly in Kannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She is considered Kannada cinema's first successful heroine. She has acted ...
and Karan Dawan. The music was composed by
R. D. Burman. This was remake of Tamil film ''
Idhu Sathiyam'' (1963). The producer Surinder Kapoor quoted in an interview "Rajesh Khanna who played the title-role in ''Shehzada'' was truly of a princely disposition. He started shooting for me without ever discussing the price, saying that we could settle that once the film is made, he said and made banner S. K. International Films became an acknowledged company."
Plot
Circa British rule in India, wealthy DIG of Police is approached by Devdutt, a poor freedom fighter, who would like his daughter, Janki, to marry the DIG's son, Ratan. The DIG and his wife Rajlaxmi refuse to have to do anything with Devdutt, but Ratan refuses to marry anyone else. They eventually relent and agree to this marriage. Shortly after the marriage, riots ensue between the police and freedom fighters, and as a result the DIG is killed. Rajlaxmi blames Devdutt for his death, and asks a pregnant Janki to leave her house. Unable to stand up for his wife, Ratan remains a silent spectator while his wife is thrown out. Janki goes to live with her father, who eventually passes away, and it is then Janki gives birth to a son, Rajesh. Years later, Rajesh has grown up, drives a truck, and is in love with a local shop-keeper, Chanda, who he would like to marry. Janki would like her son to go and meet his dad, and when Rajesh does so, Rajlaxmi arranges a pompous welcome for him with open arms, hoping that he will leave his mother and stay on with her. But Rajesh refuses to do this unless Rajlaxmi apologizes to Janki. An enraged Rajlaxmi refuses to do so, and asks Rajesh to leave. Rajesh and Chanda get married, and soon Chanda gets pregnant. Then the police arrest Rajesh, for which he may face several years in prison. He is held in the local police station. The truth does prevail, the real culprit is caught, and Rajesh is let go. He returns home to find out that everything is not the same anymore. Chanda has given birth a baby boy, and now lives with Rajlaxmi, and refuses to return home. Rajesh must now find out what compelled Chanda to leave Janki and go to live with Rajlaxmi.
Cast
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Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
as Rajesh
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Raakhee as Chanda
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Madan Puri
Madan Puri (30 September 1915 – 13 January 1985) was an Indian actor of Hindi and Punjabi films. His brothers were actors Chaman Puri and Amrish Puri. As a character actor mainly in negative roles (villain), he acted in about 430 films in ...
as Chanda's Maternal Uncle
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Veena
The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( IAST: vīṇā), is any of various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps. as Rajlaxmi
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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 ...
as Ratan
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Pandari Bai
Pandari Bai (18 September 1928 – 29 January 2003) was an Indian actress who worked in South Indian cinema, mostly in Kannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She is considered Kannada cinema's first successful heroine. She has acted ...
as Janki
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Sunder as Nekiram
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Mohan Choti as Nandu
Reception
''Shehzada'' was one of the successful film of
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
when he was on peak and gained popularity among his fans
Soundtrack
References
External links
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1972 films
Indian family films
Indian drama films
Hindi remakes of Tamil films
1970s Hindi-language films
1970s Indian films
1972 drama films
Films scored by R. D. Burman
Films directed by K. Shankar
Hindi-language drama films
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