| Saajan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lawrence D'Souza |
| Written by | Reema Rakesh Nath |
| Produced by | Sudhakar Bokade |
| Starring | Sanjay Dutt Madhuri Dixit Salman Khan Reema Lagoo Kader Khan |
| Cinematography | Lawrence D'Souza |
| Edited by | A. R. Rajendran |
| Music by | Nadeem-Shravan Sameer (lyrics) |
| Distributed by | Eros Entertainment Goldmines Telefilms Divya Films International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 198 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | ₹18 crore (US$7.93 million)[1] |
Saajan (lit. 'Beloved') is a 1991 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Lawrence D'Souza and produced by Sudhakar Bokade. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan in lead roles, with Kader Khan, Reema Lagoo and Laxmikant Berde in supporting roles. Nadeem–Shravan composed the film's music whereas Sameer wrote the lyrics of the songs.
Saajan released on 30 August 1991, and grossed ₹18 crore worldwide, thus becoming the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1991.[2] It received positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its soundtrack and performances of the cast. It was unofficially remade in Telugu as Allari Priyudu.
At the 37th Filmfare Awards, Saajan received a leading 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (D'Souza), Best Actor (Dutt) and Best Actress (Dixit), and won 2 awards – Best Music Director (Nadeem–Shravan) and Best Male Playback Singer (Kumar Sanu for "Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai").
The plot is inspired by the play Cyrano de Bergerac where a disabled man helps another man write letters for the woman he himself loves.
Plot
Rajiv Verma, a wealthy businessman adopts Aman, a boy who has a disability. Rajiv's wife, Kamla and their own son, Akash also accept Aman as their son and elder brother.
28 years later
Grown-up, Akash and Aman bond well but are still at loggerheads. Carefree, flexible and gregarious, Akash becomes a roadside romeo and social worker. More serious, Aman writes shayaris and poems due to which his fans increase and he gains millions of fans. A fan of his is the pretty book store owner Pooja Saxena, who frequently writes letters to correspond with Aman, revealing she loves and admires him and his poetic abilities. She meets Aman one day; he recognizes her but she fails to identify him.
Akash meets and falls in love with Pooja, and explains to Aman that he is in love with her, showing him her photo to Aman's shock. Akash is unaware that Aman writes shayaris and poems. As Akash does this, Pooja is overjoyed that she has met "Saagar" finally, unaware of the truth. Gradually, Akash gets tired of posing as a poet and not only learns that Aman secretly loves Pooja, but also that he is actually "Saagar". He confronts Aman and brings Pooja, making Aman admit he loves her.
Pooja meets and tells Aman that she would have loved him if he revealed that he is "Saagar". Eventually, Akash decides to unite Pooja and Aman and sacrifice his love. Pooja realizes she truly loves Aman(Saagar) and marries him. Both of them bid adieu to Akash and he leaves, as the movie successfully ends.
Cast
- Sanjay Dutt as Poet Sagar Aman Verma
- Madhuri Dixit as Pooja Saxena
- Salman Khan as Aakash Verma
- Kader Khan as Rajiv Verma
- Reema Lagoo as Kamla Verma
- Ekta Sohini as Menaka
- Laxmikant Berde as Laxminandan
- Anjana Mumtaz as Manyata Saxena
- Dinesh Hingoo as Lalchand
- Yunus Parvez as Anees
- Raju Shrestha as Yashvant Saxena
- Tej Sapru as Veera, local goon in the "Tu Shayaar Hai" song
- Vikas Anand as Inspector Dilip
- Raja Duggal as Babu Lal
- Pankaj Udhas in the song "Jiyen to Jiyen Kaise"
- Lawrence D'Souza in the song "Dekha Hai Pehli Baar"
Production
Aamir Khan was first offered Aman's role in the film. Despite liking the story, he refused the film as he did not connect to the role.
Reception
The film was the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1991.[1][3]
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Nadeem-Shravan, with lyrics by Sameer and Faiz Anwar (for song "Pehli Bar Mile Hain"). The album was the year's top seller, with around 7 million copies sold.[4] The soundtrack of the film also fetched Nadeem-Shravan their second consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Kumar Sanu, who sang for Sanjay Dutt's character won his second Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai". S. P. Balasubramanyam, Pankaj Udhas, Anuradha Paudwal and Alka Yagnik also rendered their voice for the album. All the singers were nominated for Filmfare Awards. The soundtrack was #16 on the list of "100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks of All Time", as compiled by Planet Bollywood
| Saajan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 67:34 | |||
| Label | Venus Records & Tapes | |||
| Producer | Nadeem Shravan | |||
| Nadeem Shravan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Planet Bollywood |   [5] |
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Paagal Hai" | Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik | 05:25 |
| 2. | "Bahut Pyar Karte Hain (Male)" | S. P. Balasubramaniam | 03:05 |
| 3. | "Dekha Hai Pehli Baar" | S. P. Balasubramaniam & Alka Yagnik | 06:13 |
| 4. | "Jiye To Jiye Kaise" | S. P. Balasubramaniam, Kumar Sanu & Anuradha Paudwal | 06:38 |
| 5. | "Bahut Pyar Karte Hain (Female)" | Anuradha Paudwal | 04:25 |
| 6. | "Tum Se Milne Ki Tamanna Hain" | S. P. Balasubramaniam | 05:30 |
| 7. | "Tu Shaayar Hain" | Alka Yagnik | 06:30 |
| 8. | "Jiye To Jiye Kaise (Solo)" | Pankaj Udhas | 03:30 |
| 9. | "Pehli Baar Mile Hain" | S. P. Balasubramaniam | 06:16 |
| 10. | "Jiye To Jiye Kaise (Solo II)" | S. P. Balasubramaniam | 06:40 |
| 11. | "Bahut Pyaar Karte Hain (Duet)" | S. P. Balasubramaniam & Anuradha Paudwal | 06:40 |
| 12. | "Jiye To Jiye Kaise (Female)" | Anuradha Paudwal | 06:42 |
| Total length: | 67:34 | ||
Awards
| Award | Category | Recipients and Nominees | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37th Filmfare Awards | Best Music Director | Nadeem-Shravan | Won |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Kumar Sanu for "Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Paagal Hai" | ||
| Best Film | Sudhakar Bokade | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Lawrence D'Souza | ||
| Best Actor | Sanjay Dutt | ||
| Best Actress | Madhuri Dixit | ||
| Best Lyricist | Sameer for "Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Paagal Hai" | ||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Pankaj Udhas for "Jiye To Jiye Kaise" | ||
| S. P. Balasubrahmanyam for "Tumse Milne Ki Tamanna Hai" | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Alka Yagnik for "Dekha Hai Pehli Baar" | ||
| Anuradha Paudwal for "Bahut Pyar Karte Hai" |
References
- 1 2 "Box Office 1991". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ↑ "Madhuri Dixit reveals what made her sign Saajan instantly, shares pic with Salman Khan as film completes 29 years". Hindustan Times. 30 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ↑ "Lawrence Dsouza to remake Saajan?". The Times of India. 5 April 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ↑ "Music Hits 1990–1999". www.boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ↑ "Saajan Music Review". Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.