There have been various films that have contributed to the revolutionary change in the landscape of Indian cinema. One such film was Waqt- the first multi-starrer of Hindi cinema which was released around 60 years ago. The 1965 film, way ahead of its time, was exuberantly different from its contemporaries. The film emerged as one of the most successful films of that year and garnered positive applause for addressing the first world problems.
The 1965 blockbuster was directed by Yash Chopra. Balraj Sahni, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Sadhna and Sharmila Tagore were in the lead roles in the film. Such was the success of that film that the filmmakers remade it in Telugu as Bhale Abbayilu, released in 1969. The film was later remade in Malayalam as Kolilakkam, which made it to the theatres in 1981.
Waqt explores the lives of three brothers who were separated after a childhood incident. While Raaj Kumar essayed the role of the oldest brother, Sunil Dutt and Shashi Kapoor nailed their character as his younger siblings. The film emerged as the biggest blockbuster in Raaj Kumar’s career and solidified his position as a talented actor in the industry.
Waqt was made on a budget of Rs 1 crore. It ended up minting up to Rs 5 crore at the domestic box office, whereas its worldwide collection crossed Rs 6 crore. The film received three Filmfare Awards. While Yash Chopra bagged the award for the best director, Raaj Kumar was honoured with the best supporting actor award. The award for best cinematographer went to BR Chopra and Yash Chopra’s brother Dharam Chopra. Besides, Waqt also won the nomination in the best film category whereas Sadhna was nominated for the best actress award.
Interestingly, Raaj Kumar was not the first choice of the character that he ultimately played. Before him, the role was offered to Dharmendra who reportedly did not want to play elder brother to Sunil Dutt and Shashi Kapoor at that time.
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