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Kabhi Kabhie
1976 Indian Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kabhie Kabhie (translation: Sometimes) is a 1976 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written by Pamela Chopra and directed and produced by Yash Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Shashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor, and Neetu Singh in an ensemble cast and was released theatrically on 27 February 1976. The narrative spans across generations, exploring the lingering emotions of lost love and its impact on a married couple, their children, and the people around them.
Marking Chopra's second directorial collaboration with Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor following Deewaar (1975), the film is particularly noted for its poetic lyricism and the evocative soundtrack composed by Khayyam, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. The title song, "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein," became a cultural touchstone, with playback rendered by Mukesh. Principal photography took place in Kashmir and Mumbai, with cinematography by Romesh Bhalla and Kay Gee.
The film emerged as a commercial success, earning an estimated ₹40 million and ranking as the eighth-highest grossing Hindi film of the year.[3] At the 24th Filmfare Awards, Kabhi Kabhie led the ceremony with 13 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Yash Chopra), Best Actor (Bachchan), Best Actress (Raakhee, who won for Tapasya instead), Best Supporting Actor (Shashi Kapoor) and Best Supporting Actress (Rehman). It won four awards—Best Music Director (Khayyam), Best Dialogue, Best Lyricist (Sahir Ludhianvi) and Best Male Playback Singer (Mukesh), the latter two for the song "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein".
In the years since its release, Kabhi Kabhie has come to be regarded as a seminal romantic drama that marked a shift in Chopra’s cinematic tone toward more poetic, multi-generational love stories. The principal cast—Bachchan, Raakhee, Kapoor, and Rehman—later reunited for Chopra’s Trishul (1978).
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Plot
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Amit Malhotra, a poet and student in Kashmir, falls in love with fellow student Pooja during their college years. Although they plan a future together, Pooja is compelled by her parents to marry an architect, Vijay Khanna. Before parting ways, Pooja asks Amit to promise that he will also marry and continue writing poetry. On their wedding night, unaware of their past relationship, Vijay gifts Pooja a book of poems authored by Amit, whom he admires as a writer.
Following the separation, Amit discontinues his literary pursuits and assumes responsibility for his father's quarry business. He later marries Anjali, while Pooja and Vijay have a son named Vikram, commonly referred to as Vicky. Many years later, Amit and Pooja encounter each other when she hosts a television program and invites him as a guest. This marks their first meeting since their college days. During a subsequent gathering at the Khanna residence, Vijay senses the unspoken history between Amit and Pooja and correctly infers that Amit’s abandonment of poetry was influenced by a past heartbreak. The conversation leads to a brief confrontation between the two men.
Meanwhile, Vicky, now an adult, is romantically involved with Pinky, a fellow college student and the adopted daughter of Dr. R. P. Kapoor and his wife, Shobha. Before they can marry, Pinky discovers that she is adopted and resolves to locate her biological mother. Her search leads her to Kashmir, where she meets Anjali, who is revealed to be her birth mother. Anjali had conceived Pinky out of wedlock after her partner, an Indian Air Force pilot, died in a plane crash. She gave the child up for adoption due to social pressures. Fearing the consequences of revealing the truth, Anjali introduces Pinky to Amit and their daughter Sweetie as her distant niece.
Vicky travels to Kashmir to support Pinky and, under the pretext of courting Sweetie, integrates himself into the Malhotra household. Amit hires him at the quarry while Pinky becomes his secretary. Sweetie develops romantic feelings for Vicky, leading Amit and Anjali to propose their marriage. Distressed by the situation, Pinky confides in Anjali, who then urges Amit to reconsider the proposed match. Amit misinterprets Anjali's concern as favoritism, prompting her to reveal Pinky’s true parentage. Reacting strongly, Amit feels betrayed by both Anjali and Pinky and chooses to distance himself from them.
Subsequently, Amit reconnects with Vijay and Pooja. During a conversation, Vijay overhears that Amit and Pooja were once in love and that Pooja had inspired his early poetry. On the drive to Amit’s home, Vijay indirectly addresses the situation, expressing that dwelling on the past diminishes the value of the present. His remarks prompt Amit to reflect on his own behavior toward Anjali. That evening, Amit admits his lingering feelings for Pooja, which deeply hurts Anjali. She apologizes for withholding the truth about Pinky, but Amit remains unwilling to reconcile, prompting her to leave and seek a divorce.
At the same time, Sweetie witnesses an affectionate moment between Vicky and Pinky and, unaware of their engagement, is devastated. Feeling rejected, she attempts suicide by riding into an area of the quarry set for a dynamite explosion. Vicky pursues her on horseback, while Amit, Pinky, and Vijay follow. A resulting forest fire traps Sweetie, but Vicky reaches her and confesses his love for Pinky, leading Sweetie to reconcile with the couple. All are rescued safely.
The incident causes Amit to reassess his actions. He returns home and stops Anjali from leaving, and the two reconcile. Amit and Pooja make peace with their past and establish a renewed friendship. The film concludes with the marriage of Vicky and Pinky.
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Cast
- Waheeda Rehman as Anjali Malhotra
- Shashi Kapoor as Vijay Khanna
- Amitabh Bachchan as Amit Malhotra
- Raakhee as Pooja Khanna
- Rishi Kapoor as Vikram Khanna (Vicky)
- Neetu Singh as Pinky Kapoor
- Naseem as Sweetie Malhotra
- Parikshit Sahni as Dr. R. P. Kapoor (Pinky's adoptive father)
- Simi Garewal as Shobha Kapoor (Pinky's adoptive mother)
- Iftekhar as Mr. Malhotra (Amit's father)
- Deven Verma as Rambhajan (Amit's quarry company manager)
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Production
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The concept for Kabhi Kabhie originated when director Yash Chopra was reading a poem by lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, a longtime friend and collaborator. Inspired by the emotional depth of Ludhianvi’s writing, Chopra envisioned a film that would explore themes of lost love, emotional continuity, and generational conflict.
Principal photography took place in Kashmir, a location Chopra had frequently used in his films. Reflecting on the experience, Chopra described the production as one of the most enjoyable of his career, referring to it as a "honeymoon" phase due to the close-knit nature of the cast and crew. He noted that the film was made in an environment where the team "worked together as a family."[4]
The film marked a notable departure in Amitabh Bachchan's screen image, transitioning him from the "angry young man" persona established in Zanjeer (1973), Sholay (1975) and Deewaar (1975), to that of a melancholic romantic poet. This reinvention was seen as a significant turning point in his career.[¹]
The role of Pooja was written specifically with Raakhee in mind. She had initially agreed to the project during the production of Daag: A Poem of Love (1973), but later considered retirement from acting following her marriage to lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar. After discussions with Chopra, Gulzar gave his approval, allowing Raakhee to return to complete the film.[5]
Crew
- Chief Assistant Director: Ramesh Talwar
- Art Direction: Desh Mukerji
- Costume Design: Jennifer Kapoor, Rajee Singh
- Choreography: Suresh Bhatt
Soundtrack
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The soundtrack for Kabhi Kabhie was composed by Khayyam, with lyrics written by Sahir Ludhianvi. Both artists received widespread acclaim for their work, winning Best Music Director and Best Lyricist, respectively, at the 24th Filmfare Awards.[6]
The film's music features vocals by Mukesh and Kishore Kumar, who lent their voices to the characters portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. Mukesh posthumously received the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the title song "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein", which became one of his most iconic performances. The duet version of the same song, performed by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar, topped the 1976 year-end chart on Binaca Geetmala, a popular countdown show broadcast on Radio Ceylon.
The soundtrack was later included in Planet Bollywood's list of the "100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks," where it was ranked seventh.[7] Reviewer Rakesh Budhu awarded the album 9.5 out of 10 stars, describing it as "an ode to brilliant melody" and praising its enduring emotional resonance.[8]
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Accolades
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Home media
Kabhi Kabhie was released on DVD on 1 November 1999 and later on Blu-ray on 2 March 2010. Both formats have been made available through various retailers, including Amazon.
The film's satellite broadcasting rights are held by Sony Entertainment Television. It is also available for digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video through video-on-demand (VOD) platforms.
References
External links
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