Raabta 2017

Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon starrer Film, Raabta has been creating a lot of buzz in the film industry and among the Bollywood fans much before it had released . A film on reincarnation that goes deep down into the thinking that Karma comes back right until you achieve moksha.  A belief that has been subjected into the Indian culture.

Reincarnation or the Punar Janam is not a new concept in Indian films and much ahead of Raabta’s release, we have many films on reincarnation delivered by Bollywood since the 1940’s .

Mahal – 1949

Mahal  released in 1949 is said to be the first reincarnation thriller film released in Bollywood. Directed by the ace director Kamal Amrohi, starring veteran actor Ashok Kumar and actress Madhubala, who was one of the classic heroines of Bollywood. The film was about two lovers who have an untimely death and many years later a man who visits an abandoned palace only to be met by a ghost of a lady whose lover looked exactly like him.  Mahal was an evergreen film with romantic songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar which are very popular till date. .

Madhumati – 1958

Madhumati released in 1958 was one of the best films ever made on reincarnation and was a winner of nine Filmfare Awards. Helmed by producer Bimal Roy starring veteran stars Dilip Kumar and Vyjanyantimala in the leading roles.   The film unfolds with the story of the hero taking shelter in an old abandoned mansion wherein he starts getting flashes of memories of his past and finds a deep connection with the mansion . The songs were a super hit from this film. Aaja Re Pardesi sung beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar and Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam by legendary singer Mukesh have remained carved as the evergreen melodies of the timeless music rendered in this film.      Om Shanti Om the very recent film of 2007, they say has copied the climax scene from this film.

Milan – 1967

Milan is another hit film of 1967 that went on to become a blockbuster starring Sunil Dutt and Nutan. The beautiful and very popular song Saawan Ka Mahina featuring the legendary stars Sunil Dutt and Nutan is enjoyed till date. A remake of the Telugu film Mooga Manasulu,  a story about a newlywed Radha Devi and Gopinath who set out on her honeymoon . While crossing a river Gopinath starts getting flashes of his past life and the memories on how he was killed in his previous birth.  On reaching the shore he recalls his lady love of his past life Radha.

Mehbooba – 1976

The film Mehbooba helmed by Shakti Samanta starring the first superstar Rajesh Khanna and the beautiful actress Hema Malini. The film of 1976 is about a singer Suraj at the Royal Court who meets the ghost of his past life girlfriend Ratna who is a court dancer. While they are trying to elope they are murdered and unite in their rebirth.   The songs from this film Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar went on to become a  superhit songs of all times..

Karz – 1980

The 1980 thriller film directed by Subhash Ghai starred Rishi Kapoor, Tina Munim and Simi Garewal in key roles. The story revolves around Ravi Varma (Ravi Kishen) who is killed by his newly married wife Kamini.(Simi Garewal). He takes rebirth as Monty (Rishi Kapoor),  a couple of decades later as fate has a revenge planned for Ravi’s murder. Every time he plays a tune on his guitar he stars recalling flash memories of his past birth. He avenges his death in the rebirth. The film had some of the most melodious songs like Mere Umar Ke Naujawano sung by  Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle which have remained timeless and refuse to age with years. The song from this film Om Shanti Om and Dard-E-Dil went on to win Filmfare Best Music Director’s Awards.  Karz went on to be a classic film and remake of Karzzzz released in 2008 was with Himesh Reshammiya.

Kudrat – 1981

After Mehbooba,  Hema Malini and Rajesh Khanna once again starred in this film on reincarnation.    A film by Chetan Anand , the story is about two lovers Paro and Madhav.  Paro gets raped and killed by a zamindar’s son and in grief her lover Madhav commits suicide only to be born again after a decade. Both of them end up coming back to the same place in their new birth and avenge the crime. Songs from this film also got popular and fans till date remember the melodies of the song ‘Hume Tumse Pyar Kitna .. and Tune O Rangeele have remained evergreen melodies.

Suryavanshi – 1992

Suryavanshi a 1992 film by Rakesh Kumar and produced by Vijay Kumar Galani starring Salman Khan, Sheeba, Amrita Singh and Saeed Jaffrey.Vicky and Sonia are both wealthy  and have no qualms of getting married as the story unfolds,  Sonia is a daughter of an Archeologist looking for artefact in sangramgarh. During her research for  some ancient artefacts, the duo come across an underground palace . The locals have had a superstition about them digging and want them to leave the past alone.  A story more like a fairy tale with Amrita Singh as the villain ruling the  palace with the help of half-man half-beast .  Vicky resembles Vikram Singh who is the only person who can emerge victorious from the ageless cruel entity Rajkumari Suryalekha (Amrita Singh)  and a twist of tale wherein she is relieved of the curse her mother had put upon her.

Karan Arjun-  1995

One of the super hit films of Bollywood , Karan Arjun starring the veteran actress Rakheee, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in the lead role . The story takes you back when both the boys are killed brutally in order to take over their property left as a legacy. Their widowed mother prays to Goddess Kali to bring them back.  Miraculously both her sons are reborn in different families and grow up to take revenge against their killer after 20 years.   The song Jaati Hoon Main sung by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik is one of the best romantic songs of this film.  A blockbuster which went on to become one of the second highest grossing Hindi films of 1995 was directed by Rakesh Roshan and written by Ravi Kapoor and Sachin Bhowmick.

Paheli – 2005

Paheli a riddle is a Bollywood fantasy directed by Amol Palekar produced by Gauri Khan starring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles. Paheli a story based on a short story written by Vijayandan Detha in Rajasthani language is about a lady whose husband leaves her behind . She is pining for her husband and shortly she finds solace when a ghost disguised as her husband stars visiting her. A ghost who is in love with her and takes her husband’s place.   The film has Juhi Chawla , Amitabh Bacchan and Rajpal Yadav in supporting roles. The film went on to become am International success at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival  and at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Om Shanti Om – 2007

Om Prakash Makhija called Omi essayed by Shah Rukh Khan is a junior artist in the Hindi film industry is in love with the very popular superstar Shantipriya essayed by Deepika Padukone. Omi happens to watch in horror the killing of Shantipriya by a film producer Mukhesh Mehra essayed by Arjun Rampal . The two had secretly been married and Shantipriya is expecting their child.  To avoid bringing their relationship forefront and avoiding financial losses and with the fear of losing his glamour in the industry he lures her into visiting an abandoned studio and sets it on fire killing her and in attempt to save her,  Shah Rukh Khan also loses his life only to be reincarnated after 30 years. In his re-birth he is able to take revenge and decides to get Mukhesh  Mehra confess of killing his lady love the actress Shanti Priya while recollecting his past life, the villain of the film also gets killed in the climax which is a scene depicted from the yesteryear film Madhumati.

Love Story 2050 – 2008

Directed by Harry Baweja.  The film Love Story 2050 marks the debut of filmmaker’s son Harman Baweja  . Released in 2008  the story talks about about the hero who travels to the future in a time machine made by his girlfriend’s uncle who gets killed in an accident.  He spots her look alike, Priyanka Chopra in 2050 and goes on to take his revenge and takes her back in time with him.

Dangerous Ishhq 3D – 2012

The director known for a passion for horror films, Vikram Bhatt marked the come back of Karisma Kapoor in his film opposite Rajneesh Duggal.   Story revolves around a business tycoon’s son Rohan and supermodel Sanjana who are lovers since their past four births. However in each of their birth they are separated by an evil antagonist Durgam Saha.    Will they unite finally in their last birth ? The film bombed badly and people have not heard much about this film that received a lot of negative reviews at the box office. Another film on supernatural and horror films by Vikram Bhatt and he doesn’t ceases to makes these films which only receive a lot of negative remarks.  Karisma Kapoor hasn’t been lucky and her choice of films of the same kind on reincarnation hasn’t given her the best break . To add to this the film is totally a Deja vu with reincarnation three times in the film a story about two boys and a girl. Both the boys love the same girl in two of their previous births and in the last birth the hero tries to separate them from the girl from the past life.  The film also stars, Jimmy Shergill, and Gracy Singh.

Eega  Makkhi – The Fly – 2012

A bilingual fantasy film not really a Bollywood film but a Telugu film dubbed in Hindi directed by the famous director S.S. Rajamouli and prodcued by Korrapati Ranganatha on an estimated budget of 260 to 400 millions. A story about a housefly Makkhi is more like a bedtime story about a girl Bindu who is loved by the protagonist Nani. Nani is murdered by a wealthy businessman who is attracted to Bindu. Nani reincarnates as a housefly and protects Bindu and avenges his death.   The film stars Sudeep, Nani and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

Ek Paheli Leela – 2015

Ek Paheli Leela directed by Bobby Khan starring Sunny Leone and Rajneesh Duggal Jay Bhaushali and Mohit Ahlawat in pivotal roles in the film.   A film on a musician’s past life with deep connections with an NRI super model Meera and the Rajput Prince Ranveer Singh.   The disturbing incidents of his past life keep haunting the hero Karan as he tries to get Meera the model as his lover in this life.  The film did fairly well and the song Tere Bin Nahi Laage Jiya became a popular .

Films on punar-janam or the paranoia of rebirth have been considered silly but people are still in awe of their awesomeness in India! The stories through films are still fun to watch and attract a good audience .

The Ramsay Brothers known for making films that are not real stories and have made films on reincarnation but have made it more like the horror films.  They have made more than 30 horror films in India, which represents the lower depths of 1980s Bollywood mark and have managed to secure their place in Hindi cinema’s hall of fame as the pioneers of horror.. Their films run to full houses in the first week after its release. Their 80’s horror films are generally considered as the combination of sex and super naturals but the balance of beautiful films like Mahal, Madhumati, Karz, Om Shanti Om , Kudrat and Mehbooba sum it up  become superhit films and the subject like Raabta is still loved by the audience.