Akdin Raatre (1956)

Akdin Raatre (1956) was a courageous and artistically ambitious project. It brought together three towering Bengali creative minds—Salil Chowdhury, theatre legend Shombhu Mitra, and Amit Moitra—with financial backing from none other than Raj Kapoor.

The film was essentially a Bengali reinterpretation of Kapoor’s Hindi classic “Jaagte Raho”, but rather than being a copy, it became an artistic collaboration between Bombay and Calcutta, blending the strengths of both industries.

The musical highlight remains “Jaago Mohana Preetam”. Lata’s rendition in both languages remains one of the finest performances in her entire career, and one of Salil’s greatest compositions.

A fascinating anecdote survives: Manna Dey expected to sing the Hindi equivalent record (“Zindagi Khwaab Hai”), but Salil selected Mukesh instead—possibly due to Manna’s connection with Motilal. Yet Manna’s Bengali version, “Ei Duniaay Bhaai Sobey Hoi”, is a sharp, satirical piece with a uniquely Bengali flavor.

Sandhya Mukherjee’s songs—especially “Lo Se Waai Waai” and “Se Gaan Aami Jaai Je Bhule”—carry the emotional weight parallel to Asha Bhosle’s “Thandi Thandi Sawan Ki Pukaar” in the Hindi version.

Since the Bengali adaptation was set entirely in Calcutta, it did not include the quintessential Punjabi-flavored “Oy Aiwein Duniya Dewe Duhai” that appeared in Jaagte Raho.

Akdin Raatre stands today as a rare cinematic bridge between two industries, driven by trust, creativity, and a bold reimagining of a celebrated Hindi original.