indian cinema heritage foundation

Aarti (1962)

  • Release Date1962
  • GenreDrama, Romance
  • FormatB-W
  • LanguageHindi
  • Run Time156 min
  • Length4390.75 meters
  • Gauge35mm
  • Censor RatingU
  • Censor Certificate Number35719
  • Certificate Date02/05/1962
  • Shooting LocationKamal Studios
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RIGHT FROM THE DAYS of Ramayan and Mahabharat, the Indian woman has found her happiness and her joy in being a devoted self-sacrificing wife ready to suffer any misery to make her home happy. Her real joy has been in making others happy.

AARTI, our heroine, also belongs to the same tradition. After becoming a qualified doctor instead of marrying Prakash, a brain specialist surgeon who was after fame and fortune, she married Deepak, a social worker who lived with his ‘big’ and poor family comprising his father, his mentally deranged sister and his elder brother with his shrewish wife and three unruly kids. With her untiring zeal and her diligent care she made very member of the household happy but for her shrewish sister-in-law who was bitter against life: and Prakash, whom she had refused to marry, was livid with anger plotting to take revenge on her. Between the two, they were successful in plating the seed of suspicion in Deepak’s mind and forcing him to drive Aarti out of the house she had helped to restore to sanity and happiness.

Aarti’s cup of misery was filled to the brim when her husband met with an accident and there was no one except Prakash, a brain specialist, who could save Deepak’s life. But Prakash refused to operate until Aarti went to beseech him, agreed to pay his price and reposed all her trust in him as a doctor. Prakash perfroms the operation. It proved successful. Aarti went to him to pay his price. She asked him, “How much is your fee?” Parakash retorted, “Don’t ask “how much” but ask “What is my fee?” Aarti asked accordingly and in reply Prakash queried,” Can you leave Deepak and join me?” as if he demanded Aarti from Aarti!

What answer did Aarti offer? How did she fulfill her obligation? Only the screen can effectively answer these queries in this story of triumph of sacrifice over self.

(From the official press booklet)

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