Indiatimes Movies ranks the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films

Plot outline

The film is about Anand Sehgal (Rajesh Khanna), a cancer patient who, despite knowing this fact, believes in living his life to the fullest. Contrasting Anand is Bhaskar Banarjee (Amitabh Bachchan), a sober doctor, upset with life and the dark reality of his nation. Bhaskar’s tête-a-tête with Anand makes him notice the colours behind all the despair and complexity in one’s life and teaches him a lesson. After spreading happiness everywhere around himself and changing the lives of many, Anand as destined, leaves them all, which inspires Bhaskar to write a book on his life.

The film is a narrative, as Bhaskar writes in his diary about his life before Anand, his first meeting, how his relation with him changes from a doctor-patient to a friend, and then to a friend for which he can do anything, and how a dying man leaves his thinking changed to such a great extent .

Music

The musical score for the film was composed by Salil Chaudhary. The lyrics were written by Gulzar (Maine tere liye, Na jiya jaye na and the poem Maut tu ek kavita hai) and Yogesh (Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye and Zindagi kaisi hai paheli).

Cast

• Anand Saigal: Rajesh Khanna
• Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee: Amitabh Bachchan
• Renu: Sumita Sanyal
• Renu’s mother: Durga Khote
• Isa Bhai (also called Murarilal) : Johnny Walker
• Amitabh’s patient: Asit Sen
• Dr Kulkarni : Ramesh Deo
• Matron: Lalita Pawar
• Pahalwan: Dara Singh