48 Years of Kati Patang (29/01/1971)

48 Years of Kati Patang (29/01/1971)

Kati Patang is produced and directed by Shakti Samanta. The film stars Asha Parekh as a woman pretending to be a widow, and her ensuing trials and tribulations opposite her charming neighbor played by Rajesh Khanna. The film is among the 17 consecutive hits of Khanna between 1969 and 1971 and is the second of four films in which he was paired with Parekh.

According to newspaper The Hindu: “on screen, Rajesh Khanna never appeared to be lip-syncing. So convincing were his expressions. His presence, backed by the music, remained the main source of strength for a movie’s success”.

The movie also stars Nasir Hussain, Bindu, Prem Chopra, Daisy Irani, and Sulochana Latkar. The film was the second in a string of nine movies in which Samanta and Khanna collaborated. The music was composed by R.D. Burman and was a huge hit. “Ye Shaam Mastani” and “Pyar Deewana Hota Hein”, sung by Kishore Kumar were particularly famous. The performance of Asha Parekh and Rajesh Khanna were praised by the audience and critics alike. The film was remade in Telugu as Punnami Chandrudu (1987).