Remembering Shashi Kapoor's Jab Jab Phool Khile

Directed by Suraj Prakash, Jab Jab Phool Khile released in 1965. It was a romantic drama movie featuring Shashi Kapoor and Nanda in the lead roles. The story was of a poor boy who is a boatman in Kashmir and falls in love with a rich tourist.

The movie became an instant hit and was declared a blockbuster. It stood at number 2 in the top 10 highest grossing Bollywood movies in 1965. The movie is still cherised for its melodious songs. The songs by music composing duo Kalyanji Anandji. Anand Bakshi had penned the lyrics. Lyricist Anand Bakshi's career took off after this film

Shashi Kapoor was one of the most successful Indian actors in North African countries like Algeria, Morocco and Libya. In the souks of Marrakesh, even today some of the older shopkeepers will give you a discount if you are from the land of Shashi Kapoor.

Shashi Kapoor always said that Nanda was his favorite heroine, as she had signed with him when she was the bigger star. The climax, where Raja pulls Rita into the train, was shot in Bombay Central Train Station. Suraj Prakash gave explicit instructions on how and when to pull Nanda into the train. Kapoor followed those directions so well that there were only a few feet left for the platform to end when he pulled her in. Prakash claims the incident was so hair-raising that he'd shut his eyes, convinced that Nanda's end had come. The original climax from the script had Raja beating up the bad guys. However, Suraj Prakash rejected it, and after an afternoon watching Love in the Afternoon (1957), settled with Rita leaving everything behind to go back to Kashmir with Raja.