Char Dil Char Rahen


Char Dil Char Rahen is a 1959 Hindi film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and starring two big stars of the era, real-life brothers Shammi Kapoor and Raj Kapoor. The movie is based on a novel of the same name.

Plot

Three young men Govinda, Dilwar, and Jhonny waiting at the crossroads for their lovers. Govinda was prevented from marrying Chavi as she is untouchable and driven out of the village. Govinda then waits for her at the crossroads. Dilwar rescues Pyari from Nawab but she refuses to escape without her mother. She then sets up a shop and waits near the crossroad for Dilawar. Jhonny, in love with Stella, is framed by his boss Fereira, and jailed. He later joins the group at the crossroads and starts a garage. Nirmal Kumar the union leader then asks the trio to blast a hill at the crossroad to build a road.

Cast

Box office

It was released simultaneously with other big films, Devendra Goel's Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan and V Shantaram's Navrang, while Navrang was a hit, Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan broke even and Char Dil Char Rahen failed at the Indian box office in 1959.
However, it later went on to become an overseas blockbuster at the Soviet box office, where it drew 39.8 million viewers in 1962. In the Soviet Union, the film grossed 9.95 million Rbls, equivalent to US$ million in 2016. Its overseas Soviet gross exceeded the domestic Indian gross of all films released in 1959.

Controversy

Shammi Kapoor received a legal notice from director Abbas when he refused to act for one of the songs in the film, and many other controversies with the stars of that era caused director Abbas to vow to stop making movies with mainstream movie stars.