Barsaat

1949 DramaMusic 171 minutes Directed by Raj Kapoor

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About Barsaat

Pran and Gopal holiday in Kashmir. Pran, rich and soft-hearted, loves the mountain girl Reshma, while Gopal takes up with Neela and then leaves her to wait through the rains. Reshma's path includes her parents' opposition, accidents, and a forced match with a fisherman before she and Pran reunite. Gopal reforms and comes back. He finds Neela dead and lights her pyre as the rain starts.

Cast & crew

More about Barsaat

Raj Kapoor directed and produced it for R. K. Films. Ramanand Sagar wrote the story and screenplay. Jal Mistry photographed it. G. G. Mayekar edited. Shankar–Jaikishan composed the music. R. K. Films and All India Films distributed it. Release date April 22, 1949. Running time 171 minutes. Kapoor plays Pran, Nargis plays Reshma, Prem Nath plays Gopal, and Nimmi plays Neela. K. N. Singh and Cuckoo are also billed. Wikipedia says parts were shot in the Kashmir Valley and calls it the first film shot there. The English title is Rain. It was Kapoor's second film as director, after Aag.

Themes

  • Two friends and two mountain girls
  • A woman left to wait for the rains
  • A pyre in the rain
  • Pran
  • Reshma
  • Gopal
  • Neela
  • Kashmir

In film history

The hit paid for RK Studios in 1950. Wikipedia calls the Kashmir Valley shooting a first.

Reviews

Rakesh Budhu of Planet Bollywood gave the soundtrack a 10-star notice and called Barsaat one of Hindi cinema's best soundtracks.

Audiences

Wikipedia reports a box office of ₹1.9 crore and the top rank among Indian films at the time of release.

Look

Jal Mistry shot the picture, including the Kashmir Valley locations.

Music

Shankar–Jaikishan wrote the score. Songs include "Barsaat Mein Humse Mile," "Jiya Beqarar Hai," and "Chhod Gaye Balam." Lata Mangeshkar is the playback voice for both heroines.

Notes

  • Nimmi's first film role.
  • Lata Mangeshkar sang for both Nargis and Nimmi. Mukesh and Mohammed Rafi also sing. Lyricists include Hasrat Jaipuri, Shailendra, Ramesh Shastri, and Jalal Malihabadi.
  • The success let Kapoor buy RK Studios in 1950.
  • Wikipedia says it became the highest-grossing Indian film to that date, passing Gyan Mukherjee's Kismet from six years earlier.
  • B. M. Vyas is in the Wikipedia cast. Bimla Kumari appears in the song "Hawa Mein Udta Jaye.

Scenes

  • Reshma is pushed toward marriage with a fisherman.
  • Gopal finds Neela dead.
  • He lights her funeral pyre as the rain begins.

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (Barsaat (1949).webm)

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