User reviews

Entertaining Hindi romance is really an unauthorized remake of Cornell Woolrich's noir novel "I Married a Dead Man." No matter; it's a good story and works well here, with fine perfs by Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh in the leads. A little longer than it should be, but it doesn't drag, and the situation is a hook even though contrived. Then again, it was pretty contrived when Woolrich wrote it. This version avoids the depths of cosmic bleakness in Woolrich's vision and makes for a satisfying entertainer. On the IMDb scale, 7/10 from me.

Kati Patang has everything going for it - a beautiful lead pair, neat script, lively screenplay, lovely dialogues, breathtaking locales, pleasing photography, melodious music & efficient direction.

The film tackles the issue of widow remarriage, albeit not so deeply. It is a heroine centric film with Asha Parekh doing full justice to the character, her expressive eyes being a big plus point. She pairs up well with Kaka, though she looks slightly older than him.

The supporting cast of Nasser Hussein, Bindhu & Prem Chopra play their parts well.

Rajesh Khanna once again walks away with the honours even though the focus is on the heroine. He is at his dashing, handsomest best & does full justice to his character.

The songs by R.D Burman are melodious & evergreen - pyar deewana hota hai, yeh sham mastaani etc., The film was liked by people of all ages & was a smasher at the box office.

A true classic for the hopelessly romantic. An ageless epic of romance and with sprinkles of suspense and agony of a woman scorned by one and yet passionate and protective of another who she had betrayed unknowingly. This is perhaps Asha Parekh's last starring role and she converges all of her emotions and essence into it portraying a woman living a lie. Rajesh Khanna plays true the man scorned by a love he has never seen and falls again for a maiden whom he isn't likely to get either. The songs alone channel the story through its pathway and the climax well - is not unlike so many other Hindi movies around. Prem Chopra a true Hindi villain and Bindu the budding vamp is just the right touch for any ole Hindi Classic.

Kati Patang (1971) : Brief Review -

Shakti Samanta adopts Mitchell Leisen's influential Hollywood melodrama "No Man Of Her Own" (1950) and makes it even better at places. For the unversed, Mitchell Leisen is known for making many melodramas in Hollywood that became influential over the years, and No Man Of Her Own happens to be one of his popular works. The tragic story of a woman who is betrayed in love, and then when she finds a true and loyal love, the old love is back to spoil her life again. No Man Of Her Own is a very thrilling affair, whereas Samanta's adaptation is typical but much better at places. The first half an hour goes into setting the plot, including the introduction of the hero, with the super hit song "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai." The idea is to make it Indian, and Samanta has done a fantastic job here. In the original film, the villain is shot dead, while this one has the villain as a murderer. There are a few more changes in the screenplay that make it very colourful, especially all the songs and their situations. For instance, "Yeh Shaam Mastani" feels so romantic, and that Holi song, "Aaj Na Chodenge," is so apt for the situation and two different mindsets (the hero is happy, so the mukhada of the song is happy, and the heroine is sad, so the antara is filled with a sad tune). We don't make situational and meaningful songs like this anymore. "Na Koi Umang Hai" has become a "widow song" over the years, and "Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai" is forever melodious. With enough drama in his hands and such a great music album, Samanta easily manages to turn a woman-centric Hollywood melodrama into an audience-friendly Indian drama. Rajesh Khanna's charm hits well, and Asha Parekh proves why she was the best choice to replace someone like Barbara Stanwyck. In short, this is how you remake a Hollywood film with Indian flavour.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Although the romantic, suave and serene Rajesh Khanna has other big hits to his credits like AMAR PREM, ANAND, SAFAR and ARADHANA but in KATI PATANG, his inherent and innate acting prowess shot to that vintage point from where, the exact reflection of his acting skills that were imbued in mystic, elegant and romantic gestures emerged supreme.

Coupled with great hit songs and excellent direction of Shakti Samantha, KATI PATANG is a memorable landmark in the filmography of Rajesh Khanna. Being her last lead acting performance on the silver screen, Asha Parekh has also consummately portrayed the pensive image of a forced widow lover.

The real to life turbulent story of an innocent girl who was betrayed by her clever boyfriend, had to bear the brunt of a lifetime stigma. Shakti Samantha's direction, R.D. Burman's choreography of songs and majestically soothing cinematography by Gopi Krishna made "Kati Patang" a toast for the eyes and a sublime stimulant for the spirit of audience. The songs and the wording transcends the true beauty of pure love along with the flow of tumultuous events, thereby captivating the audience to stick to their seats till the end.

Folks ! they don't make it like Kati Patang, any more ........

In some ways a typical formula bollywood movie. Good story line, nice songs and of course good acting.

Kati Patang is a big hit from the 1970s and its success was purely on merit. Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh teamed for the first time in Kati Patang and the result was some powerful performances and great screen chemistry between the two. After, Aradhana, Shakti opted for Asha Parekh despite his regular Sharmila Tagore. Asha Parekh takes the place of her dead friend and starts living with her in laws -in her friend's identity. She is a widow. Rajesh Khanna falls in love with Asha Parekh and Asha hesitates to reciprocate his love thinking as to what the society will think and say. She is framed for murder by Prem Chopra and Bindu and how Asha with Rajesh Khanna's help comes out of the frame up forms the climax of the story. She eventually marries Rajesh Khanna. Its a lovely film and the film engrosses the viewers for its entire length. The music is superb with all the songs being hits. The highpoint of the film is the dialogs by Vrajendra Gaur. The dialogs are hard hitting, sensitive and heart warming. VRAJENDRA GAUR is no wonder one of the most gifted dialog writers of the Hindi film industry. His sensitivity came through in his dialogs and he penned dialogs for films like Sharmeelee, Lal Paththar, Anuraag, The Great Gambler, Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaye, Geet Gaata Chal, Teen Deviyaan, etc.etc. I became his greatest fan after watching Kati Patang. The contribution of the versatile Gaur is very big in making Kati Patang a classic hit. Very few know that Shakti Samanta was Vrajendra Gaur's assistant in the only film directed by Gaur called "Kasturi". Gaur passed on all the subsequent offers to Shakti and returned to his first love writing. He subsequently wrote most of the films made by Shakti. The dialog penned by Vrajendra Gaur in innumerable films will always be remembered as they make us value the true worth of great dialogs.

Kati Patang a movie from Shakti Samanta's stable was released when Super Star Rajesh Khanna was at his peak and was churning hits after hits and it appeared that there is going to be no end to his giving hits. This movie written by Gulshan Nanda had excellent music by R D Burman and had top of the charts songs sung by Kishore Kumar - ' Ye jo Mohabbat hai"," Yeh Shaam Mastani" etc. The holi song " Aaj na chodenge" has become a part of the culture of India. These songs are remembered even today. The movie revolved around Super Star Rajesh Khanna's character who is in love with a forced widow Asha Parekh, whom he was supposed to marry but she had run away due to the fact that she was misguided by the playboy and bad man Prem Chopra. The movie revolves around these character until the hero and heroine unite. It is a classic hit and is a must see for viewers as a movie as this movie is evergreen and easily available.

Rajesh Khanna, at the height of his stardom, and Asha Parekh, at the nadir of her career as a leading actress, star in this romantic film filled with emotion and evergreen songs. Asha Parekh is excellent as the woman, who after making a bad choice, finds her life spiralling out of control and ends up pretending to be a widow with a child. She lives with her late friend's father living a lie as his daughter-in-law... plus she falling with guy she jilted. Her dilemma gets worse when her former cheating beau bad boy Prem Chopra and his vamp, Bindu, turn up with the threat of blackmail. Classic stuff.

Can't imagine how high the writer must have been when he wrote it.

70s Bollywood was just, something out of this world. The most improbable circumstances & highly impossible scenarios.

The dialogues will just make you laugh. They're so fanciful. It's just funny. It's so cliche. And the character background are just, way too improbable circumstances. I mean, how can everyone be just SO RICH everywhere.

So much drama has happened in the first 30 min, I seriously am intrigued by how the rest 2 hours are going to.

You do need a LOT of patience to watch this.

Maybe this was the thing in 70s, but definitely not something worth watching in this generation.

Dialo.

This film is just the excuse for a lazy sunday afternoon. The story though a little old fashioned has been beautifuly presented with the centeral character played by Asha Parekh taking centre stage alongside Rajesh Khanna. The story centres around Asha Parekh who on the day of her wedding betrays her fathers wishes and runs away to her boyfriend only to find out that he has betrayed her and has found another woman. hurt and disillusioned the girl returns home to find her father dead due the shock of his daughters dissapearance. There is only one place left to go... her friends who is widdowed single mother on her way to meet her inlaws. sadly the there is an accident and Asha parek is left to play the role of the little childs mum and takes on the role of her friend. Enter in Rajesh khanna the man whom she would have been married to if she had not run away. This then becomes the beginnig of a beautiful love story between the two. the film features a lovely evergreen classic soundrack, a must watch film...

Among Shakti Samanta's classic hits one film that stands out is Kati Patang.

Not only is the story heart touching but its dialogue,melodious songs(which I feel is one of the best in RD Burman's career) make it a must watch.

Rajesh Khanna is absolutely splendid in his role which is romantic as well as dramatic and it doesn't seem that he is lip syncing to any of the songs .

And hats off to Asha Parekh who has portrayed like what it's being a woman in her role as a woman pretending to be a widow just for her friend's sake.

Speaking about the music I feel the song that stands out is Yeh Shaam Mastani which proves how great Kishore Kumar is

Overall it is a perfect mix of romance drama and emotions.

"Kati Patang" is a classic Bollywood film directed by Shakti Samanta, released in 1971. Starring Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh in the lead roles, the movie is a romantic drama with elements of tragedy and suspense. It remains one of the most beloved films of its time and has left a lasting impact on Indian cinema.

The story revolves around Madhu (Asha Parekh), a young woman who is forced to break off her engagement due to unforeseen circumstances. After becoming a widow, she assumes a new identity and moves to a different city, hoping to start a new life. There, she meets Kamal (Rajesh Khanna), a carefree and flirtatious man who falls in love with her. However, Madhu's past catches up with her, leading to a series of emotional twists and turns.

One of the highlights of "Kati Patang" is its captivating screenplay, which keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. The narrative is skillfully crafted, blending romance, tragedy, and suspense in a seamless manner. The film tackles various social issues, including the stigma associated with widows in Indian society, and explores themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption.

Rajesh Khanna delivers a stellar performance as Kamal, showcasing his charisma and acting prowess. He effortlessly portrays the charming and carefree nature of his character, leaving a lasting impact on the viewers. Asha Parekh, too, delivers a commendable performance as Madhu, effectively conveying the emotional depth of her character.

The film features an outstanding soundtrack composed by R. D. Burman, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The songs, such as "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai" and "Pyar Deewana Hota Hai," have become timeless classics and continue to be popular even today. The music enhances the storytelling and adds to the overall appeal of the film.

"Kati Patang" is also known for its visually appealing cinematography, capturing the beauty of various locations and settings. The colorful and vibrant visuals add to the cinematic experience, making it a treat for the eyes.

Overall, "Kati Patang" is a captivating film that combines romance, drama, and suspense in a compelling manner. It features strong performances, a well-crafted screenplay, memorable music, and stunning visuals. It remains a classic in Indian cinema and is definitely worth watching for fans of Bollywood films or anyone interested in experiencing a timeless love story.

A female is deeply in love with a male. Female role played by Asha Parekh and male role – the role of first lover – Prem Chopra.

Prem is actually in love with sexy siren Bindu (had Bindu taken birth in the 1990's – she would have been the most sought after heroine in the Bollywood film industry – Sunny Leone could not have made even an entry!). But Prem was a good actor – so he duped Asha by his lovey-dovey talks and Asha was deeply-2 in love with Prem. So you also know folks…when a villainous male is in love and has managed to dupe a female to the extent that she readily runs away from home on her wedding day…..also means that she probably had 'done that' – yea – I am talking about the process of copulation ..fornication – whatever you may call!!

Anyway, Prem throws her out and now Asha had nowhere to go – she could obviously not go back home – her groom got the shock of his life (Rajesh Khanna) – when he came all ready to take home a pretty bride but had to go back empty handed!

She boards a train and heads for an unknown destination…train meets with an accident (look at her life…gosh! what an adventurous turning point) – her friend dies along with her husband leaving her child behind. Asha pretends to be that friend of hers and reaches her in-laws house (apparently the in-laws had never seen their daughter-in-law…like they had thrown out their son because he had married against their wishes…but child birth sort of changed their opinion about them – no no – no cell phone of Facebook at that time folks – that images were easily available).

Long story short – Asha meets Rajesh Khanna – OK – Rajesh had not seen her picture – like in the US, you have blind dates…in India, we have blind marriages! He had just gone to the house – mounted on a horse – only to know that the bride had run away – so he went back home – never bothered to look at her picture also!) Call it decree of fate – Rajesh gets drawn to the widow (Asha was pretending to be a widow remember)- and eventually they get married! Wow! Happy ending!

Conclusion – Bollywood tried to make the Indian females understand that they may sleep around with just anyone who catches their fancy – coz. eventually, they will get married to the Hero! The daft category of females are still trying the funda out…and causing misery to themselves as well as the society!!

So a woman can forget her 1st love after all - see Asha did forget all about Prem Chopra na....so chill!! (esp. for the dumb girls who cling to a single love affair all their life and live is sheer misery!)