Raj kapoor was not sure about how Manmohan Desai talent. He likes the story but doubt about director capacity. During filming song "Dum Dum Diga" raj kapoor wanted to do it differently. But Manmohan Desai insisted to do it his own way. After watching the clips/ rushes, Raj Kapoor stunned and agreed to work with Desai unconditionally.
The film, loosely based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "White Nights", was set against the backdrop of The Partition. Its premise was inspired by real-life stories of women abandoned by their husbands in the aftermath of The Partition. While Raj Kapoor played the titular role in this film, his grandson Ranbir Kapoor starred in another adaptation of "White Nights" many years later - "Saawariya" (2007). The film "Ahista Ahista" (2006) was also adapted from the same story.
Baaje Paayal Chhun Chhun.
This song was an adaptation of "Desert Hero" from Ron Goodwin's 1959 album "Music for an Arabian Night".
Gali Gali Sita Roye. Several changes had to be made to this song to address the Censor Board's objections. As a result, the lyrics of the version of the song used in the film were very different from those in the 78 rpm version. The song, issued in two parts in the original 78 rpm release, contained several references to Ram, Sita, Ramayan, and Valmiki. While these references were retained in the song's mukhda, almost all other references were replaced with other words. For example, the opening lines "Duniyawalo Ram Siya ki kahani sun lo / Valmeek se khoob suni ab meri zabaani sun lo" were replaced with "Duniyawalo ik abla ki dukhi kahani sun lo / Haar jeet to khoob hui ab meri zabaani sun lo". Similarly, the first antara "Tumne naam suna Sita main use dekh ke aaya hoon / O dharm ke thekedaaron main ik nayi Ramayan laaya hoon / Woh Sita thi Ramayan ki yeh hai jeeti jaagti / Roothe hue Ram se yeh khoya pyar maangti" was changed to "Tumne naam suna dukhiya main use dekh ke aaya hoon / O desh ke bahano bhaiyo main ik nayi shikayat laaya hoon / Yeh hai maata yeh hai biwi dukhiya jeeti jaagti / Roothe hue nath se yeh khoya pyar maangti". The closing lines - "Jhoothi hai Ramayan saari jhootha bhagwan hai / Dharm jhootha prem jhootha jhootha Hindustan hai / Deviyon pe dosh lage aaj mere des mein / Sita to hai Ram nahin aaj mere des mein" - were deleted from the film. The song sequence in the film was shot using the original version. As a result, discrepancies between Raj Kapoor's lip-syncing and the revised version's lyrics are evident.
Chhalia Mera Naam.
The mukhda of this song went "Chhalia mera naam chhalna mera kaam" in the 78 rpm records. The line was changed to "Chhalia mera naam chhalia mera naam" in the film due to the Censor Board's objection.