Daag (1973 film)


Daag: A Poem of Love is a 1973 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film produced and directed by Yash Chopra in his debut as a producer, under the newly formed banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, and Raakhee in lead roles, with supporting performances from Madan Puri, Kader Khan, Prem Chopra, and A. K. Hangal. Loosely inspired by Thomas Hardy’s 1886 novel The Mayor of Casterbridge, the narrative follows a man who is separated from his wife after being accused of murder and later finds himself entangled in a complicated relationship with another woman.
The film marked the first production under the Yash Raj Films banner, which later grew to become one of India's most prominent studios. It also marked the acting debut of Kader Khan. Principal photography took place in various locations across India, and the music was composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. Several songs from the film, including "Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai" and "Ni Main Yaar Manana Ni," were chart-toppers at the time of release.
Released theatrically in 1973, Daag: A Poem of Love received widespread acclaim for its performances, direction, and music and emerged as a major commercial success during the peak of Khanna’s career. At the 21st Filmfare Awards, the film received seven nominations, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress, and won two: Best Director and Best Supporting Actress.
The name of Raakhee’s character, Chandni, was later reused by Chopra in his films Silsila and Chandni. The film was remade in Telugu film Vichitra Jeevitham.

Plot

Sunil Kohli, a young man, falls in love with and marries Sonia. During their honeymoon, bad weather forces the couple to take shelter for the night at a bungalow owned by Sunil's employer. While Sonia is alone, Dheeraj Kapoor—the employer’s son—attempts to assault her. Sunil arrives in time to intervene, and in the ensuing struggle, Dheeraj is killed. Sunil is arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
While being transported to prison, the police van meets with an accident, and all occupants are presumed dead. Years later, Sonia, now a schoolteacher raising her and Sunil's son alone, discovers that Sunil is alive and living under a new identity as Sudhir. He is now married to a wealthy woman named Chandni.
Following the accident, Sunil had met Chandni, who had been abandoned by her lover after becoming pregnant. In exchange for help in starting a new life, Sunil agreed to marry Chandni to provide legitimacy to her unborn child. As the law closes in once again, Sunil must now answer not only for his past but also for the charge of bigamy.

Cast

Crew

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. Two songs from the album were especially popular during the year of the film's release. "Ab Chahe Ma Roothe Yaa Baba" ranked at number 7 and "Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai" ranked at number 20 on the Binaca Geetmala annual list of 1973.
#TitleSingerDuration
1"Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai"Kishore Kumar04:19
2"Ab Chahe Ma Roothe Yaa Baba"Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar05:36
3"Hum Aur Tum Tum Aur Hum"Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar04:07
4"Jab Bhi Jee Chaahe"Lata Mangeshkar04:19
5"Main To Kuchh Bhi Nahin"Rajesh Khanna02:28
6"Ni Main Yaar Manana Ni"Lata Mangeshkar, Minoo Purushottam05:48
7"Hawa Chale Kaise"Lata Mangeshkar05:46