Andaz is a 1971 Indian Bollywoodromantic drama film, directed by Ramesh Sippy, and written by Salim-Javed, Gulzar and Sachin Bhowmick. It stars Shammi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Rajesh Khanna, and Simi Garewal. The film was a considerable success and was important in the career of Malini as an actress. The film features "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana", one of the best known Bollywood yodels which also featured on the soundtrack of Mira Nair's Mississippi Masala. The song fetched singer Kishore Kumar a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. When this film released, films of Shammi Kapoor were not doing well at the box office. The 10-minute cameo of Rajesh Khanna is credited for turning Andaz Into A Super Hit Film. This film is counted among the 17 consecutive hit films of Rajesh Khanna between 1969 and 1971, by adding the two-hero films Marayada and Andaz to the 15 consecutive solo hits he gave from 1969 to 1971. Further, this film is the first of the successful script writing that Salim-Javed started.
Plot
This film tells the story of Sheetal, a widow who is left devastated by the death of her husband Raj,. She and her son are not accepted by her husbands family. She becomes a teacher and brings up her son by herself. One of her other students is the daughter of widower Ravi. Ravi also loved his first wife who died in child birth. The children become instrumental in getting the single parents to meet and fall in love with each other.
Reception
Andaz was one of the last movies for which the great music directors duo, Shankar- Jaikishan composed music together. Jaikishan died of liver cirrhosis on 12 September 1971 at the young age of 42. "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana" turned out to be the last song that Jaikishan recorded before his death. Andaz also proved to be the last hit for Shammi Kapoor as a lead. The success of this movie is credited to the Rajesh Khanna Mania of the 70s, as Rajesh Khanna only appeared for 15 minutes in the movie, and still created a stir. However, Shammi's performance was well received and it is considered to have been one of the most uncharacteristic roles in his acting career. So also, Ajit played a sympathetic man who repents for his mistake not to accept Hema Malini as his daughter-in-law after the death of his son Rajesh Khanna.
