'Anand Marte Nahin': 50 years of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's timeless classic 'Anand'

The Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan starrer released in 1971 has been a favourite of cinephiles of all ages ever since

Iconic dialogues, timeless music, a heart-wrenching story and the star power and talent of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan: Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand had it all. It has been 50 years since the classic's release and it continues to woo audiences of all ages.

Anand, Mukherjee's 14th feature film, was his first stint with superstar Rajesh Khanna and a legend in the making, Amitabh Bachchan. Khanna played the role of friendly and optimistic Anand Sehgal and Bachchan, in his second role on the silver screen, plays his doctor, Bhaskar Banerjee. The film shows how Anand's friendship with Banerjee changes the latter's outlook towards life.

Mukherjee dedicated this film to the city of Mumbai and his close friend and inspiration, Raj Kapoor.

The film's five iconic songs show the unparalleled talent of songwriter Salil Chowdhury, who has worked on many projects with Mukherjee's mentor, Bimal Roy. After back-to-back hit songs voiced by Kishore Kumar in Khanna's films like Aaradhna, the music director chose Mukesh for Anand Sehgal in this film. The album showcases a spectrum of emotions in Mukesh's voice, from a cheery 'Maine Tere Liye' to a nostalgic 'Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye'.

The lyrics for the timeless songs are written by Gulzar and Yogesh. In line with the theme of the film, the songs paint a picture of the dreams and aspirations of Anand and what he expects from his life. The only female solo in the film is a romantic song by Lata Mangeshkar, which is a break from the heavy emotional theme of the movie.

Bachchan and Khanna have only worked in two films together, but their partnership on-screen in Anand is something audiences have never forgotten. The film was a commercial and critical success, clinching the Filmfare Awards for Best Actor, Best Story, Best Supporting Actor, Best Dialogue and Best Film.

"Babumoshai... Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin": This is one of the many famous dialogues of the film that stood the test of time and continue to resonate with the audience even after half a century.