''Aakhri Khat'' (English: The Last Letter) is a 1966
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film written and directed by
Chetan Anand. This film marked the debut of
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
, who became the first superstar of Indian Cinema from 1969. The music of the film is by
Khayyam
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, ...
and lyrics by
Kaifi Azmi
Kaifi Azmi (born Athar Husain Rizvi; 14 January 1919 – 10 May 2002) was an Indian Urdu poet. He is remembered as the one who brought Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures. Together with Pirzada Qasim, Jaun Elia and others he participated ...
; it includes the song "Baharon Mera Jeevan Bhi Sanwaro", sung by
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
. The film was given 5 stars in Bollywood Guide Collections.
Chetan Anand, started the film with a bare outline of a script and a 15-month-old infant who he let loose in the city, following him with his camera, mostly a hand-held camera, taking in all the city sounds, under the cinematic direction of
Jal Mistry
Jal Mistry (1923–2000) was a noted Indian cinematographer who worked in Hindi cinema, best known for his collaboration with director Chetan Anand and Navketan Films, in films like ''Aakhri Khat'' (1966), ''Heer Raanjha'' (1970) and ''Kudrat' ...
The film was selected as the Indian entry for the
Best Foreign Language Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the
40th Academy Awards in 1967, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The film was remade in Tamil as
Poonthalir
Poonthalir () is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language film, directed by Devaraj–Mohan, starring Sivakumar and Sujatha. The music was scored by Ilaiyaraaja. The film was a remake of Hindi film ''Aakhri Khat'' (1966). The film, Sivakumar's 101st as an ...
starring
Sivakumar
Palaniswamy, better known by his stage name Sivakumar (born 27 October 1941), is an Indian visual artist and former actor who has portrayed a wide range of leading and supporting roles onscreen in Tamil cinema and television. He made his actin ...
and
Sujatha (actress) in 1979, in Telugu as
Chinnari Chitti Babu in 1981 and in Turkish as ''Garip Kuş'' in 1974.
Plot
Govind (
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
) is a young sculptor. While vacationing near
Kullu
Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...
, he sees Lajjo (
Indrani Mukherjee
Indrani Mukherjee (born 1 March 1942) is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films during the 1960s and 1970s and starred in over 70 films. After playing the heroine in some films, notably '' Usne Kaha Tha'' (1960) and '' Aakhri Khat'' (1966 ...
) and falls in love. Subsequently, they get married secretly in a village temple. He then has to leave for the city to further his education. Meanwhile, the girl learns that she is pregnant. On finding this, her stepmother sells her off for Rs. 500, where she is beaten. Some time later, she gives birth to a little boy named Buntu. Later, Lajjo comes to Mumbai to meet Govind, carrying her one-year-old son. She leaves a letter for him at his doorsteps, and wants to leave the child with him as well. However, she is unable to go through with it, so she takes Buntu with her. They keep wandering and feed off whatever comes their way, but soon she dies leaving her son alone.
The rest of the film is a story of the little child, wandering around the city. He goes out of the house, eating whatever he finds, including a pill, which makes him doze off. On waking up, he wanders even more and more into the city. Meanwhile, Govind becomes aware of everything through a letter she has left behind, ''Aakhri Khat'' (Last Letter). He soon realizes his mistake and with the help of police tries to find his wife and son, though only finds his wife's body. Later, he shows the Police inspector Naik, (Manvendra Chitnis), the statue of Lajjo he has kept in his studio.
The child is then rescued by a man who is a staff member of an orphanage nearby. He escapes from that place at night. And after a long time of wandering here and there, and with the help of some people, he ultimately reaches home to find a statue of his lost mother, and a new lady, who is now his new mother.
Cast
*
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
- Govind
*
Indrani Mukherjee
Indrani Mukherjee (born 1 March 1942) is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films during the 1960s and 1970s and starred in over 70 films. After playing the heroine in some films, notably '' Usne Kaha Tha'' (1960) and '' Aakhri Khat'' (1966 ...
- Lajjo
* Master Bunty- Buntu
*
Nana Palsikar
Nana Palshikar ( mr, नाना पळशीकर) (1907 – 1 June 1984) was an Indian actor who appeared in over 80 Hindi films. He made his film debut in 1935 with ''Dhuwandhar'', and went on to play character roles in both Hindi mainstream ...
* Manvendra Chitnis - Inspector Naik
*
Mohan Choti
Mohan Choti (1935 – 1 February 1992) was an Indian actor who worked as a comedian in Hindi films. The name Mohan Choti came from a fictional character of the same name from the 1957 film '' Musafir'', in which he plays a tea shop delivery boy ...
- Moti (Servant)
*
Tun Tun
Tun Tun
Press Release, Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
disclosed in an interview,"I consider “Aakhri Khat” a memorable film of my initial days. It was out and out a director's project and Chetan Anand, highly imaginative and sensitive director handled the film with expertise. I still clearly remember how cinematographer Jal Mistry shot the song sequence, “Ab Na Ja” on me and Indrani Mukherjee in five to six close ups also picturising the natural panorama of the Himalayas with rare aesthetics and perfection. My most challenging scene in “Aakhri Khat” was the last one where I am in a pensive mood in silence till I recognise my son, Bunty. Chetan Anand used to wake me up with late night phone calls so that my face had the ideal pathos oriented look."
Soundtrack
The soundtrack includes the following tracks, composed by
Khayyam
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, ...
, with lyrics by
Kaifi Azmi
Kaifi Azmi (born Athar Husain Rizvi; 14 January 1919 – 10 May 2002) was an Indian Urdu poet. He is remembered as the one who brought Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures. Together with Pirzada Qasim, Jaun Elia and others he participated ...
. It also marked the debut of
Bhupinder Singh as a solo
playback singer
A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not app ...
.
See also
*
List of submissions to the 40th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
*
References
External links
*
{{Indian submission for Academy Awards
1966 films
1960s Hindi-language films
Indian black-and-white films
Films directed by Chetan Anand
Films scored by Khayyam
1966 drama films
Hindi films remade in other languages