Yaadon Ki Baaraat turns 50: Old isn’t always gold, and this Salim-Javed film is proof

Starring Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Vijay Arora, Tariq, Neetu Singh and Ajit, Yaadon Ki Baaraat’s 50th anniversary is seen as a cause of celebration by Bollywood film lovers. However, as someone who was born decades after the film’s release but has seen a plethora of old Hindi films and likes to call herself a Salim-Javed aficionado, let me tell you that this wasn’t even the best film to release in 1973. Released shortly after Salim-Javed’s first big success, Zanjeer, Yaadon Ki Baaraat is the story of three brothers who get separated after a traumatic incident and reunite as adults. The only thing that binds them together is a family song that’s only known by the members of their family. As filmy as it sounds, the movie is far removed from reality and not even remotely relatable. It’s as masala as Bollywood can be, and demands that you don’t take it seriously.

Director Nasir Hussain with actors Dharmendra and Zeenat Aman on the set of Yaadon Ki Baraat. (Photo: Express Archives)

The oldest son, played by Dharmendra, is out there to avenge the death of his father and is unknowingly working for the guy who is responsible for the same. Then there’s the middle child, played by Vijay Arora, who only comes in when the film needs a breather in the form of a love story with Zeenat Aman’s character. And the youngest is played by Tariq, who comes in to sing some songs on the stage and becomes the perfect vehicle for the ‘family song’ that ties the film together.

For a film to be classified as an evergreen classic, it has to be something whose core theme stands the test of time and connects on an emotional level across generations. It doesn’t need to be relatable (Sholay isn’t), but it is kind of necessary that the film shouldn’t look like a parody of itself. The over-the-top acting of Dharmendra, Zeenat and Vijay, the animated gestures of the villains make you wonder if the creators were aware of the kitschy nature of the film and the generations since then have probably missed out on the joke. If not, then Yaadon Ki Baaraat certainly classifies as a cringe watch with some great music thrown in. But in no way can this film be celebrated above Zanjeer, Namak Haram, Abhimaan or Daag, which were some of the better films of that year.

Writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar with director Nasir Hussain. (Photo: FilmHistoryPics/Twitter)

Director Nasir Hussain, in an interview published posthumously, said that he realised that Salim-Javed had given him the same story as Zanjeer but by the time he put the pieces together, it was too late. “It was too late when I realised that Salim-Javed had palmed off the same basic plot to me and Prakash Mehra. But our characters and treatment were completely different, and so both Zanjeer and my film were major hits in the same year,” he said. But, it wasn’t just these two films that had the theme of revenge running across their plot. The same theme was seen even in films like Sholay, Nagin and even Achanak. The basic plot of the main character going after the villain to avenge the death of a loved one was a common theme in mainstream Hindi films of that era.

Even Salim Khan was of the same opinion as he was quoted by Diptakirti Chaudhuri in the book ‘Written by Salim-Javed’, “The films weren’t really similar. Only the vendetta angle is common between Zanjeer and Yaadon Ki Baaraat, which was there in Sholay also. Ajit’s character made the two films look similar. We had told Nasir Husain about it but he said nobody else was willing to play the role.”

The film also had the lost and found formula involving three brothers which was first seen in the 1965 film Waqt, directed by Yash Chopra. The formula was one of Hussain’s favourite elements as it was seen in his other films like Pyar Ka Mausam and even Hum Kisise Kum Naheen. Even films like Amar Akbar Anthony and Johny Mera Naam among many others used this schtick to death throughout the 1970s. In short, there wasn’t really anything that was novel about the plot of Yaadon Ki Baaraat.

But what was novel about Yaadon Ki Baaraat was its music, and it is probably the only reason why the film has stayed relevant in pop culture. Composed by RD Burman with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, the music album of the film is still seen as one of the best works of the composer-lyricist duo. Since the film’s plot hinges on a family song, Pancham (as RD was fondly known), managed to create a classic with the title song but the most popular song of the album is definitely the romantic ballad ‘Chura lia hai tumne’. Filmed on Zeenat and Vijay, the song is still termed as one of Asha Bhosle’s finest. ‘Meri soni meri tamanna’ might not be as popular as ‘Chura lia hai tumne’ but was one of the songs to be remixed by Instant Karma, and still loved when it released in the early 2000s.

Yaadon Ki Baaraat will possibly be remembered by the generations ahead as the film that relied on a family song to get to its claimax, or the film where the villain had different sized feet but in no way should this film be a reflection of what Hindi cinema was capable of, or it could make back in 1973. It’s a campy film that knows it’s fun and frothy and should just be watched with that in mind.