Saptapadi (1961 film)
Saptapadi (Eng: Seven Steps) is a 1961 Indian Bengali-language romantic drama film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar, Chhabi Biswas and Chhaya Debi. Regarded as the romantic blockbuster of the evergreen romantic pair of Bengali cinema, Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, accompanied with mesmerizing music direction and playback singing in Uttam's voice by Hemanta Mukherjee and in Suchitra's voice by Sandhya Mukherjee. The story is based on a novel of 1958 written by Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay.
| Saptapadi | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Ajoy Kar |
| Produced by | Uttam Kumar |
| Written by | Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay |
| Starring | Suchitra Sen Uttam Kumar Chhabi Biswas Chaya Debi |
| Music by | Hemanta Mukherjee |
| Cinematography | Ajoy Kar |
| Distributed by | Alochhaya Productions Pvt Ltd |
Release date |
|
Running time | 163 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Bengali |
Plot
The story takes place in pre-independent India (early 1940) when young Indian students were competing equally with Anglo-Indians in all fields whether it be education or sports. Krishnendu (Uttam Kumar), a young Bengali Hindu medical student falls in love with an equally talented and attractive Anglo-Indian Christian woman named Rina Brown (Suchitra Sen). Both students are at the Calcutta Medical College and become close while meeting at many sports and cultural events. There is an interesting rendition of Othello within the movie; that portion of the movie was directed by Utpal Dutt. However marriage is not on the cards for them due to their differences in religion, (it is particularly opposed by Krishnendu's dad, a staunch, conservative Hindu), and they go their own ways only to unexpectedly meet again later in life.
Most of the movie is presented in flashbacks with Krishnendu pondering over the past after unexpectedly encountering a drunk and passed out Rina in a military hospital in returns.
Cast
(in alphabetical order)
- Chhabi Biswas as Krishnendu's Father
- Chhaya Devi as Rina's maid
- Jennifer Kapoor as Desdemona (voice-over)
- Padma Devi as Krishnendu's mother
- Suchitra Sen as Rina Brown
- Tarun Kumar as Krishnendu's friend
- Utpal Dutt as Othello (voice-over)
- Uttam Kumar as Krishnendu
Music
| Saptapadi | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Soundtrack album by | |||||
| Released | 1961 | ||||
| Recorded | 1961 | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 0:11:11 | ||||
| Label | Sa Re Ga Ma | ||||
| Producer | Alochhaya Productions Pvt Ltd | ||||
| Hemant Kumar chronology | |||||
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Saptapadi's music is directed by Hemant Kumar. And lyrics by the versatile Gauriprasanna Mazumder.[1]
Soundtrack
| Track | Title | Artist | Lyricist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | এই পথ যদি না শেষ হয় (If This Path Does Not End) | Hemant Kumar and Sandhya Mukherjee | Gauriprasanna Mazumder | |
| 2 | এই পথ যদি না শেষ হয় (If This Path Does Not End) | Sandhya Mukherjee | Gauriprasanna Mazumder | Repeated. Sandhya Mukherjee's solo |
| 3 | On The Merry Go Round | Suzi Miller | Gauriprasanna Mazumder |
Awards
- 1963: Best Actress: Suchitra Sen[3]
References
- "Saptapadi - Film Album" (in Bengali). Saregama Bengali – via YouTube.
- "9th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
- "3rd Moscow International Film Festival (1963)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2012.