There was a period in Hindi cinema when one director quietly reshaped the fate of romance and melodrama, and did it not once, but four times in just six years. Between 1969 and 1975, Shakti Samanta delivered Aradhana, Kati Patang, Amar Prem and Amanush, films that went on to become milestones, replayed endlessly on TV and remembered for their music, mood and emotional sweep. Samanta himself had arrived in Mumbai with dreams of becoming a hero. A young man from Bengal, he taught at a small-town school between Mumbai and Pune while trying to find his place in the industry. His first break came as an assistant director in 1948 with Raj Kapoor’s Sunhere Din. By 1954 he had graduated to direction with Bahu. But it was the late 1960s and early 1970s that cemented his legacy forever. (News18 Hindi)

Released in November 1969, Aradhana did for Rajesh Khanna what few films manage; it turned him into the country’s first acknowledged superstar. Produced and directed by Shakti Samanta, the film was written by Sachin Bhowmick, who was inspired by the 1946 Hollywood drama To Each His Own. The story first went to Hrishikesh Mukherjee, but the project didn’t take off. When Bhowmick narrated it to Samanta, the director saw its potential. The film originally carried the working title Subah Pyar Ki, before music director SD Burman suggested Aradhana, a title coined by poster designer C Mohan. At one point, Samanta nearly abandoned the film, until popular novelist Gulshan Nanda suggested that the hero be given a double role. The idea changed everything, and the film went before the cameras. (News18 Hindi)

Starring Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, Sujit Kumar, Farida Jalal and Ashok Kumar, Aradhana became a cultural phenomenon. SD Burman’s music, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi and playback by Kishore Kumar, elevated the film to another plane. For Kishore Kumar, this was the real beginning of his iconic association with Khanna; audiences felt the actor himself was singing onscreen. (News18 Hindi)

The film swept major honours, including Filmfare Awards for Best Director (Samanta), Best Actress (Tagore) and Best Male Playback Singer (Kishore Kumar for ‘Roop Tera Mastana’). Aradhana also stamped Shakti Samanta’s image as a master of romantic drama. (News18 Hindi)

Two years later, in January 1971, he returned with Kati Patang, starring Rajesh Khanna opposite Asha Parekh, with Prem Chopra, Bindu and Nasir Hussain in key roles. The story, penned by Gulshan Nanda, drew inspiration from Cornell Woolrich’s 1948 novel I Married A Dead Man. The screenplay was by Nanda, the dialogues by Brijendra Gaur, and the music by RD Burman. (News18 Hindi)

The soundtrack again became a rage with ‘Pyar Deewana Hota Hai’, ‘Yeh Shaam Mastani’, ‘Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai’ and ‘Na Koi Umang Hai’ remain timeless. Anand Bakshi’s lyrics and Kishore Kumar’s voice combined with Khanna’s screen persona to create box-office magic. The film was the fifth-highest-grossing release of 1971 and fetched Asha Parekh a Filmfare Award for Best Actress, while also boosting the careers of Bindu and Prem Chopra. (News18 Hindi)

In 1972 came Amar Prem, produced and directed by Samanta and adapted from the Bengali film Nishi Padma, itself based on a story by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Bengali filmmaker Arvind Mukherjee wrote the screenplay in English, which was then translated into Hindi by Ramesh Pant. (News18 Hindi)

The now-legendary line, “Pushpa, I hate tears”, was left intact. Rajesh Khanna’s character was originally named Uttar Kumar, before the actor rechristened him Anand Babu. The film’s release was initially delayed when the 1971 India-Pakistan War broke out shortly after a special screening in Delhi. When it finally hit theatres in January 1972, the film struck a deep emotional chord. Its music and dialogues achieved an afterlife beyond cinema halls, securing its place as one of Khanna’s most memorable performances. (News18 Hindi)

Samanta’s fourth classic came in 1975 with Amanush, starring Uttam Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Utpal Dutt, Asit Sen and Anil Chatterjee. Shot simultaneously in Bengali and Hindi under the Shakti Films banner, the film was based on Shaktipada Rajguru’s story Naya Basant. The music, composed by Shyamal Mitra, included the haunting ‘Dil Aisa Kisi Ne Mera Toda…Amanush Bankar Chhoda’, penned by Indeevar, a song that continues to echo in the hearts of the lovelorn. The Bengali version of Amanush was a major commercial success, grossing around Rs 1.8 crore, while the Hindi edition celebrated a silver jubilee run. Indeevar won the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist, and Kishore Kumar took home the Best Playback Singer trophy. (News18 Hindi)