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Achanak (1973 film)

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Achanak
Achanak film poster
Directed byGulzar
Written byKhwaja Ahmad Abbas
Gulzar
Produced byRaj N. Sippy
Romu N. Sippy
StarringVinod Khanna
Lily Chakravarty
Asrani
CinematographyK. Vaikunth
Edited byWaman B. Bhosle
Gurudutt Shirali
Music byVasant Desai
Release date
  • 1973 (1973)
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Achanak (transl. Suddenly) is a 1973 Indian Hindi-language film, directed by Gulzar, written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and starring Vinod Khanna. Gulzar received a Filmfare nomination as Best Director for this film. Even though Gulzar is an accomplished lyricist, this film did not have any songs in it.[1] K.A. Abbas earned a Filmfare nomination for best story.[2] It is inspired by the real-life sensational 1958 murder case KM Nanavati v State of Maharashtra.[3]

1963 movie Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke was also based on the same case.[4] Akshay Kumar starrer 2016 movie Rustom is based on the same case as well.[5]

The film had no songs, the background score is composed by Vasant Desai.

Plot

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Major Ranjit Khanna loves his wife Pushpa, who loves him equally. His commanding officer, Lt. Col. Bakshi, is his father-in-law. Ranjit is happy in his married life, until he finds out about his wife's affair with his best friend. On realizing this, however, he kills both of them and surrenders himself to the police. Then, he escapes from the police in search of the river Ganga, as he wants to fulfill his wife's desire to leave her Mangalsutra in the river Ganga. However, in that attempt, the police shoot him and he is injured. He is then admitted to the hospital, where he becomes emotionally attached to the doctors and nurses. So, when he is finally sentenced to death, they also move to tears.

Cast

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Character Actor
EX -Major Ranjeet Khanna Vinod Khanna
Dr Chaudhary Om Shivpuri
Mrs Pushpa Khanna Lily Chakravarty
Nurse Radha Farida Jalal
Dr Kailash Asrani
Colonel Bakshi Iftekhar
Mr Gupta, Supdt of Police Kamal Deep

Production

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The entire film production was completed in 28 days.[6] Achanak was based on a Khwaja Ahmed Abbas story, The Thirteenth Victim, which had appeared in the magazine called Imprint.[7] In 1973 N.C Sippy's sons, Romu Sippy and Raj Sippy collaborated with partner Hrishikesh Mukherjee to produce Achanak and they approached Gulzar to direct it. Gulzar approached Vasantrao, a marathi background score composer to compose the score for this film since it would have no songs otherwise.[1]

Soundtrack

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Background music was composed by Vasant Desai.

# Song Title Singer
1 "Sun Mere Bandhu Re" S D Burman

References

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  1. ^ a b Gavankar, Nilu N. (2011). The Desai trio and the movie industry of India. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-4634-1941-7.
  2. ^ "1st Filmfare Awards 1953" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  3. ^ "Inspired by Nanavati". Hindustan Times. 19 December 2002. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. ^ Parsai, Gargi (12 August 2010). "Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke (1963)" – via www.thehindu.com.
  5. ^ "Gulzar's Achanak is what Akshay Kumar's Rustom would have been if it didn't take the easy way out". 21 January 2023.
  6. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal: "Echoes & Eloquences: The Life and Cinema of Gulzar", page 95. Rupa & Co, 2007. ISBN 978-81-291-1235-4
  7. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal: "Echoes & Eloquences: The Life and Cinema of Gulzar", page 93. Rupa & Co, 2007. ISBN 978-81-291-1235-4
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