Amar was one of director Mehboob's best films but it was still completely eclipsed by his next film Mother India - it was beautifully shot in a glorious black and white and was his usual tribute to the Indian peasant and their inherent honour, steadfastness and their ultimate triumph.
The intelligent story has refined pair Amarnath and Anju played by Dilip Kumar and Madhubala falling in love, planning to get married while a sadly all too familiar man-made tragedy then unfolds to alter their destinies. It starts out playfully enough with unrefined milkmaid Sonia played by Nimmi chatting to her farmyard animals, to some wondrous photography in a studio forest and studio house sets – the lighting was sometimes mesmerising, sometimes laughably melodramatic. And that's also the main problem with the film itself: the underlying theme veers wildly from serious social commentary and a study in guilt and contrition to incongruous slapstick – while the beautiful music by Naushad and poetry from Badayuni provides a stable continuity, impeccably sung by Lata. Rafi got only the one song in here the oft-repeated main theme and moral instruction Insaaf Ka Mandir Hai but my favourite was Ek Baat Kahoon with Asha singing for Nimmi at the fair, a wonderful tune accompanied by whirling dancers and much activity.
Madhubala seldom looked more beautiful than when she flared her nostrils in contempt or anger, so pity poor Dilip and his already mixed emotions whenever that happened in here! So many questions can be asked by the finish: sweaty Shankat was a nasty character, yet what were we supposed to think of all his genuinely altruistic motives as the picture unfolded? Was Anju's self-sacrifice and self-effacement meant to appear so profound? Would Amarnath really let his social standing slip? And would Sonia have let him? Did the mob let them live to decide? Not that it mattered but what happened to her father and step-mother? However, even with all these and other unanswered legal and moral questions it's an engrossing and entertaining journey and well worth watching and weighing-up.
The intelligent story has refined pair Amarnath and Anju played by Dilip Kumar and Madhubala falling in love, planning to get married while a sadly all too familiar man-made tragedy then unfolds to alter their destinies. It starts out playfully enough with unrefined milkmaid Sonia played by Nimmi chatting to her farmyard animals, to some wondrous photography in a studio forest and studio house sets – the lighting was sometimes mesmerising, sometimes laughably melodramatic. And that's also the main problem with the film itself: the underlying theme veers wildly from serious social commentary and a study in guilt and contrition to incongruous slapstick – while the beautiful music by Naushad and poetry from Badayuni provides a stable continuity, impeccably sung by Lata. Rafi got only the one song in here the oft-repeated main theme and moral instruction Insaaf Ka Mandir Hai but my favourite was Ek Baat Kahoon with Asha singing for Nimmi at the fair, a wonderful tune accompanied by whirling dancers and much activity.
Madhubala seldom looked more beautiful than when she flared her nostrils in contempt or anger, so pity poor Dilip and his already mixed emotions whenever that happened in here! So many questions can be asked by the finish: sweaty Shankat was a nasty character, yet what were we supposed to think of all his genuinely altruistic motives as the picture unfolded? Was Anju's self-sacrifice and self-effacement meant to appear so profound? Would Amarnath really let his social standing slip? And would Sonia have let him? Did the mob let them live to decide? Not that it mattered but what happened to her father and step-mother? However, even with all these and other unanswered legal and moral questions it's an engrossing and entertaining journey and well worth watching and weighing-up.