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Aakhri Khat

Aakhri Khat
AakhriKhat.jpg
Directed by Chetan Anand
Produced by Himalaya Films
Written by Chetan Anand
Starring Rajesh Khanna
Indrani Mukherjee
Music by Khayyam
Kaifi Azmi (lyrics)
Cinematography Jal Mistry
Edited by Jadav Rao
Distributed by Prabha Pictures
Release date
1966
Running time
153 minutes
Country India
Language Hindi
Aakhri Khat
Soundtrack album by Khayyam
Released 1966 (India)
Genre Film soundtrack
Label EMI
Producer Khayyam
Khayyam chronology
Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain
(1965)
Aakhri Khat
(1966)
Shagun
(1964)

Aakhri Khat (English: The Last Letter) is a 1966 Bollywood film written and directed by Chetan Anand. This film marked the debut of Rajesh Khanna, who became the first superstar of Indian Cinema from 1969. The music of the film is by Khayyam and lyrics by Kaifi Azmi; it includes the song "Baharon Mera Jeevan Bhi Sanwaro", sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The film was given 5 stars in Bollywood Guide Collections.

Chetan Anand, started the film with a bare outline of a script and a 15-month-old infant who he let loose in the city, following him with his camera, mostly a hand-held camera, taking in all the city sounds, under the cinematic direction of Jal Mistry The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 40th Academy Awards in 1967, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Govind (Rajesh Khanna) is a young sculptor, while vacationing near Kullu, sees Lajjo (Indrani Mukherjee) and falls in love. Subsequently, they get married secretly in a village temple. He then has to leave for the city to pursue further education. Meanwhile, the girl finds that she is pregnant. On finding this her step mother sells her off for Rs. 500, where she is beaten, some time later she gives birth to a little boy, Buntu. Later Lajjo comes to Mumbai to meet Govind, carrying her one-year-old son. She leaves a letter for him at his doorsteps, and want to leaves the child as well, is unable to go through it, and takes him along. They keep wandering, and feed off whatever comes their way, soon she dies leaving her son alone.

The rest of the film is a story of the little child, wandering around the city. He goes out of the house, eating whatever he finds, including a pill, which makes him doze off. On waking up, he wanders even more and more into the city. Meanwhile, Govind, comes know all through a letter she has left behind, Aakhri Khat (Last Letter), he soon realizes his mistake and with the help of police tries to find his wife and son, though only finds his wife's body. Later, he shows the Police inspector Naik, (Manvendra Chitnis), the statue of Lajjo he has kept in his studio.


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