"SANGAM" .... EK NASHA , EK SUROOR , EK ANOKA EHSAAS , EK AJEEB ANUBHAV , EK KABHI NA BHOOLAANE WAALI FILM.. BY ALI PETER JOHN

Watching a Hindi film every week in one of the theatres in the suburbs of Bombay had become a kind of religion and a way of life for me and I was strongly supported financially and otherwise by my mother there were times when I used to see two or even three films in one day - Ali Peter John

It was on one such mad day that I saw a Dara Singh film called "Lootera" in the morning , a Rajendra Kumar starer "Sasural" in the afternoon and Raj Kapoor's "Sangam" in the evening without any tea , lunch or even water break.

I used to get all my information about films from a , monthly film magazine called Picturpost which was available for seventy five naya paise .....

I had seen "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai" with my mother which was called the " ladies class" and I was determined to see Raj Kapoor's next film , "Sangam".

The film , "Sangam" was running at the Akash Talkies in Kurla to packed houses , that I had a friend called David who got me a ticket for free and I was lost in the world of "Sangam" created by Raj Kapoor.

The film was the story of two lovers played by Raj Kapoor and vijayanthimala and how a third man , Rajendra Kumar comes into the picture and how the love story is wrecked .

Even at that age I knew it could have been a ordinary film if it was made by any other director and how it was a world class film in the hands of a master filmmaker like Raj Kapoor.

The film was based on a script by Inder Raj Anand , who was the busiest and the highest paid writers of those times and his dailogue were the major highlights of the film and so was the music of Shankar - Jaikshen and lyrics of Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri .

But, "Sangam" would not have been what it is now and for all time if it was not for the fascinating performances Raj kapoor ,VIjainthimaala and Rajendra Kumar. The role played by Rajendra Kumar was first offered by Raj Kapoor to Dilip Kumar , but Dilip Kumar already done ,"Andaaz":with Raj Kapoor and didn't want to another film with him soon.

Rajendra Kumar was considered to be a poor alternative , but he did full justice to the role offered to him . And what can one say about Raj Kapoor without whom would not be Sangam !

But , it was Vijayanthimala who was the life body and soul of "Sangam ". Can anyone even think of an actress of the 50s and 60s doing an entire song ( bol Radha bol ) in a daring swimming costume ?

can anyone think of the same actress doing all those daring scenes in daring outfits in the " ka karu ram mujhe budda milgaya " and can one one think of the same actress doing the scene with Raj and Rajendra Kumar with the song " ho mere sanam oh mere sanam" ? The film belongs to Vijayanthimala all the way and all through time.

It is perhaps the daring role Vijayanthimala played that gave rise to the affair between Raj and his leading lady which is even said to have led Mrs Raj Kapoor to leave her husband's house with her children and live at the Natraj Hotel till the mater was settled . However , one thing is clear , Vijayanthimala got married to Dr C. L Bali soon after the release of "Sangam " .

RAJ KAPOOR CHALE GAYE KUMAR SAHAB BHI CHALE GAYE , AB SIRF RAADHAA REH GAYI HAI . KITAABE LIKHI GAYI HAI , LEKIN ASLI AUR SACCHI SACCHAYI SIRF RAADHA KE DIL MEIN REHTI HAI ,AUR NA JAANE KAB TAK RAHEGI