Devar (1966) Songs Lyrics

Devar (1966) is a classic Hindi tragic romantic drama directed and produced by Mohan Segal. The film stars Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore in the lead roles, with Shashikala, Deven Verma, Durga Khote, Sulochana, and Dhumal in supporting roles. The film was released on 1 January 1966.

The story revolves around Shankar and Madhumati, two childhood sweethearts whose lives take a tragic turn when circumstances separate them. Years later, Shankar discovers that Madhumati has become his sister-in-law, creating an impossible emotional situation.

Rather than being a conventional love story, Devar explores love, sacrifice, family honour, destiny, separation, and forbidden emotions. Shankar's inability to accept the reality of losing his childhood love becomes the central conflict of the film.

The film is based on the Bengali short novel Naa by renowned writer Tarashankar Bandopadhyay. The story had previously been adapted into Bengali cinema and was also adapted into Tamil as Padithaal Mattum Podhuma (1962).

About the Movie Devar (1966)

Movie: Devar
Release Date: 1 January 1966
Language: Hindi
Genre: Tragedy, Romance, Drama, Crime
Director: Mohan Segal
Producer: Mohan Segal
Screenplay: K. A. Narayan
Dialogues: Sarshar Sailani
Story: Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
Music: Roshan
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Cinematography: M. N. Malhotra
Editing: Pratap Dave
Production Company: Mohan Segal Productions
Distributor: De-Lux Films
Country: India

Main Cast

Dharmendra as Shankar J. Rai / Bhola
Sharmila Tagore as Madhumati / Banwariya
Shashikala as Shanta M. Singh / Shanta S. Rai
Deven Verma as Suresh
Dhumal as Ram Bharose / R. B. Bosay
Durga Khote
Sulochana Latkar
Mumtaz Begum
Tarun Bose
D. K. Sapru

Story Overview

Shankar and Madhumati know each other from childhood and develop a deep affection for one another. Their early relationship creates the foundation for the film's central romance.

However, fate separates them, and their lives move in different directions.

When Shankar eventually encounters Madhumati again, he is shocked to discover that she has become connected to his family as his sister-in-law.

The revelation destroys his hopes of recovering the love he once imagined would be his future.

Shankar struggles to accept that the woman he loved as a child now occupies a relationship that makes his feelings impossible to express.

His emotional turmoil gradually affects his behaviour and his relationships with the people around him.

Madhumati is also trapped in an extremely difficult situation. She must maintain the dignity and responsibilities of her new family while dealing with the emotional history she shares with Shankar.

The film develops into a tragic story of love that cannot be fulfilled, where the characters must choose between personal feelings and family duty.

Music

The music was composed by Roshan, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi.

The soundtrack features several respected playback singers:

Lata Mangeshkar
Mohammed Rafi
Mukesh
Asha Bhosle
Usha Mangeshkar

The music complements the film's themes of love, separation, longing, and emotional conflict.

Roshan's compositions and Anand Bakshi's lyrics contribute strongly to the melancholic atmosphere of the story.

Themes

The major themes of Devar include:

Childhood love
Unfulfilled love
Sacrifice
Family honour
Destiny
Separation
Forbidden emotions
Marriage and duty
Emotional conflict
Tragedy

At its heart, the film asks whether personal love can survive when circumstances make that love morally and socially impossible.

Literary Connection

Devar is based on Naa, a short novel by Bengali writer Tarashankar Bandopadhyay. The story had already been adapted into the Bengali film Naa in 1954 and later appeared in the Tamil film Padithaal Mattum Podhuma in 1962.

This literary foundation gives Devar a more serious and tragic tone than a conventional romantic Hindi film.