>Gotitbro at 01:33, 12 May 2021

2021-05-12T01:33:00Z

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{{short description|1966 film by Lekh Tandon}}
{{distinguish|text=Amrapali (1945 Hindi film)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Amrapali
| image = Amrapali.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| director = [[Lekh Tandon]]
| producer = F.C. Mehra
| writer = '''Story & screenplay''': Omkar Sahib<br />'''Dialogue:''' Arjun Dev Rashk<br />Balbir Singh (Additional dialogue)
| starring = [[Vyjayanthimala]]<br />[[Sunil Dutt]]<br />[[Prem Nath]]
| music = [[Shankar-Jaikishan]]
| cinematography = [[Dwarka Divecha]]
| editing = Pran Mehra
| studio = Eagle Films <ref>{{cite web|title=Office Office maker passes away |url=http://www.screenindia.com/news/Office-Office-maker-passes-away/342960/ |archive-url=https://archive.is/20120910193810/http://www.screenindia.com/news/Office-Office-maker-passes-away/342960/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 September 2012 |date=31 July 2008 |publisher=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] }}</ref>
| distributor =
| released = 1966
| runtime =
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Hindi]]
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''Amrapali''' is a [[Bollywood films of 1966|1966]] [[historical film|historical]] [[Hindi film]] directed by [[Lekh Tandon]], starring [[Vyjayanthimala]] and [[Sunil Dutt]] as leads. The film's music was by [[Shankar-Jaikishan]].

It was based on the life of [[Amrapali]] ([[Ambapali]]), the ''[[nagarvadhu]]'' (royal [[courtesan]]) of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]] in present-day [[Bihar]], the capital of the [[Licchavi (republic)|Licchavi republic]] in ancient [[India]] around 500 BC, and [[Ajatashatru]], the [[Haryanka dynasty]] king of the [[Magadha |Magadha empire]], who falls in love with her. Though he destroys Vaishali to get her, she in the meantime has been transformed by her encounter with [[Gautama Buddha]], of whom she becomes a disciple and an [[Arahant]] herself. Her story finds mention in old [[Pāli|Pali]] texts and [[Buddhist]] traditions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090429004610/http://www.bihar.ws/info/Districts-of-Bihar/History-of-Vaishali.html History of Vaishali]</ref><ref>[http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/am/ambapaalii.htm Ambapālī (Ambapālikā) in Buddhist Dictionary of Pali names]</ref>

The film was selected as the Indian entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[39th Academy Awards]], but was not accepted as a nominee.<ref>Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</ref> Though the film wasn't a commercial success, in time it started being seen as classic and is remembered not just for its dramatic cinematography of war scenes by [[Dwarka Divecha]],<ref>{{cite web|title=V.K.MURTHY: Lens and Sensibility |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=11896 |date=3 February 2006 |work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and [[Bhanu Athaiya]]'s costumes for which she traveled to the [[Ajanta Caves]], to seek references in Buddhist frescoes of the era, to create period costumes that subsequently became a template for costumes of that era, but also for the strong [[anti-war]] sentiment the film reveals in the end.<ref>{{cite web |title=Are they calling the shots? |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/20020329/fcover.html |date=29 March 2002 |work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Clothes maketh the film |url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/article113444.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=25 February 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/mar/04corner.htm What if Amrapali were remade today?] [[Rediff.com]] Movies, 4 March 2004.</ref>

The rights to this film are owned by [[Shah Rukh Khan]]'s [[Red Chillies Entertainment]].

== Plot ==
His hunger for conquest not satiated, even after repeated victories, Samrat Ajaatshatru ([[Sunil Dutt]]) of Magadh would like to continue on his winning spree, as the only unconquered city is that of [[Vaishali (ancient city)]]. His astrologers forewarn him; his Senapati ([[Prem Nath]]) cautions him that his army is tired and needs to rest; his very own mother refuses to let take part in any war - but he refuses to listen to anyone and hastens to war - which leads to subsequent defeat at the hands of the Vaishali army. Wounded, lost, and on the run from enemy soldiers, Ajaatshatru dons the guise of a Vaishali soldier and takes shelter with a woman named Amrapali ([[Vyjayanthimala]]). She nurses him back to health but Amrapali doesn't know that he is the Ajatashatru of Magadh yet they fall in love with each other. Ajatashatru finds an ally in Senapati Badbadhra Singh ([[K. N. Singh]]) and both start to plot against Vaishali - this time by reducing the number of soldiers, making them addicted to alcohol, poor training methods, and poor pay - thus demoralizing them, and paving the way for an easy victory for Magadh. Amrapali, winning a dance competition, is crowned the Rajnarthaki (Royal Dancer) of Vaishali. She is known to everyone that she is a true patriot. One day, She finds out that the soldier she loves is none other than Ajatashatru. She,being a true patriot, breaks all ties with and tells him to never see her again. She, heartbroken, tells the ruler of Vaishali that she would like to leave the position of Rajnarthaki. The members of the court put pressure on her asks why she is resigning and everyone finds out that she had fallen in love with Ajatashatru. She tells everyone that she is a good patriot and immedietly broke all ties with him, but the people of Vaishali find her sacrifice useless and declares as a traitor. The ruler of Vaishali sentences her to prison in a dungeon and orders to kill her on a full moon night. Ajaatshatru, who is enraged to hear this, gathers his army, and storms the unsuspecting people of Vaishali and virtually burns the city down, killing almost everyone in it. This accomplished, he rushes to free his beloved from the dungeons. He does set her free - but it is not the same Amrapali - this Amrapali is quite different and not at all thrilled to be in the presence of her conqueror lover. She is takenby him to the battlefield and is shown everyone he killed just to get her. She is horrified to see so much bloodshed just for unification of them. She tells she can't live this anymore and renounces herself to [[Gautama Buddha]]. Ajatashatru also follows her and renounces himself.

==Cast==
* [[Vyjayanthimala]] – [[Amrapali]]
* [[Sunil Dutt]] – [[Magadh]] [[Emperor|Samrat]] [[Ajatashatru]]
* [[Prem Nath]] – Senpati Veer of Magadh
* [[Bipin Gupta]] – [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]]'s Samrat
* [[Gajanan Jagirdar]] – Kulpati Mahanam
* [[K.N. Singh]] – Balbadra SIngh
* [[Madhavi (actress)|Madhavi]] – Raj Nartaki
* Mridula Rani – Raj Mata (Ajaat Shatru's Mother)
* [[Ruby Myers]] – Vaishali's Empress
* [[Narendra Nath]] – [[Gautama Buddha]]
* [[Baburao Pendharkar]] – In the song Neel Gagan Ki

==Crew==
* Art Direction: [[M.R. Acharekar]]
* Dance director: [[Gopi Krishna (dancer)|Gopi Krishna]]
* Costume Design: [[Bhanu Athaiya]]

==Music==

Another highlight of the film was its music by the duo [[Shankar Jaikishan]], then at the peak of their career, who gave a highly restrained yet fully [[Indian classical music]]-based score in the four songs, another rarity in the period film of the era to have so few songs. All the songs were sung by [[Lata Mangeshkar]] who also has some of her career's finest among them, including, "Tumhen Yaad Karte Karte", "Neel Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein" and "Jao Re Jogi".<ref>{{cite web |title=MUSIC DIRECTOR: Down Melody Lane |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/print.php?content_id=9041 |date=22 March 2010|publisher=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] }}</ref>

===Track list===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Title !! Singer(s)!! Lyricists
|-
| 1
| "Jao Re"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
| [[Shailendra (lyricist)|Shailendra]]
|-
| 2
| "Tumhen Yaad Karte Karte"
| Lata Mangeshkar
| Shailendra
|-
| 3
| "Neel Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein"
| Lata Mangeshkar
| [[Hasrat Jaipuri]]
|-
| 4
| "Tadap Yeh Din Raat Ki"
| Lata Mangeshkar
| Shailendra
|-
| 5
| "Nacho Gao Nacho Dhoom Machao"
| Lata Mangeshkar
| Shailendra
|}

==In popular culture==
A scene clipping from the film, was used in the ''Dhoom tana'' song dance sequence in film ''[[Om Shanti Om]]'' (2007), wherein [[Deepika Padukone]] dances as Vyjayantimala, who was digitally removed from the frames, as Deepika was playing an actor of the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Magical music video |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=18003 |date=23 November 2007 |publisher=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of historical drama films of Asia]]
* [[List of submissions to the 39th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* ''[[Chitralekha (1964 film)|Chitralekha]]'' (1964)

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0060104|Amrapali}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/movie?feature=related&v=TLvio4eI92c Amrapali-1966 full Film]
{{Indian submission for Academy Awards}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amrapali (Film)}}
[[Category:1966 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1960s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian biographical films]]
[[Category:Indian historical films]]
[[Category:Films set in the 6th century BC]]
[[Category:Films set in ancient India]]
[[Category:Films about Buddhism]]
[[Category:Films directed by Lekh Tandon]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shankar Jaikishan]]
[[Category:Works about the Maurya Empire]]
[[Category:Films about women in India]]
[[Category:Films set in Bihar]]
[[Category:Films set in the Magadha Empire]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Gautama Buddha]]
[[Category:1960s biographical films]]
[[Category:1960s historical films]]
[[Category:Films about courtesans in India]]

Amrapali film - Revision history

>Gotitbro at 01:33, 12 May 2021