Synopsis : Set against the backdrop of the Sino-Indian war of 1962, the sprawling war drama plays out in the austere landscape of Ladakh where a platoon of Indian soldiers led by a towering commander, Major Ranjit Singh (Balraj Sahni), are presumed dead. They are, then, rescued by Captain Bahadur Singh (Dharmendra) and his lover (Priya Rajvansh), a Ladakhi local. Exploring themes of patriotism and soldier’s duty in wartime through a stellar cast of actors and a rousing soundtrack composed by Madan Mohan with lyrics by Kaifi Azmi, the film also shone a light on the harsh and inescapable realities of war.
Festival History :
Awards : "Best Art Direction, Filmfare Award 1966 Second Best Feature Film, National Film Award 1965"
Director :
Chetan Anand
Producer :
Chetan Anand
Screenplay :
Chetan Anand
DOP :
Sadanand Sengupta
Editor :
M. D. Jadhav Rao
Cast :
Balraj Sahni, Dharmendra, Vijay Anand, Priya Rajvansh, Jayant, Indrani Mukherjee, Levy Aaron, Sulochana, Chand Usmani, Achala Sachdev, Nasreen, Shaukat Azmi, Gulab, Sudhir Jagdev, Wasi Khan, Sanjay Khan, Ranvir Raj, Mac Mohan, George Mehta, Hakim, J. B. Thapa, Ratan Gaurang
Chetan Anand (1915-97) began his artistic career as an actor at the Indian People’s Theatre Association before writing and directing his first film Neecha Nagar (1946), which received multiple honours at the Cannes Film Festival of 1946. As an actor, he appeared in several films including Humsafar (1957), Kala Bazar (1960) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973). With the release of Afsar in 1950, he launched the legendary film studio Navketan with his brother Dev Anand. With a filmography that also includes Aandhiyan (1952), Taxi Driver (1954), Funtoosh (1956) and Akhri Khat (1966), his style of filmmaking was deeply influential on several filmmakers of the period and after.