Sixty years since its release, Waqt remains a landmark of Hindi cinema, introducing the ensemble cast format and modernising the ‘lost-and-found’ trope with emotional storytelling, visual opulence, and unforgettable music. Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri brings back the memory.

Celebrating 60 years of Waqt (1965), a film that revolutionised Hindi cinema with its ensemble cast, the lost-and-found formula, philosophical depth, iconic music, and visual grandeur. Yash Chopra’s milestone directorial success, Waqt shaped mainstream Bollywood storytelling and inspired generations of filmmakers with its emotional depth and cinematic scale. 

60 Years of Waqt: Its Legacy and Influence in Pioneering the Multi-Starrer in Hindi Cinema and on the Lost-and-Found Formula

In 1965, Hindi cinema witnessed the release of Waqt, a film that would go on to define an entire genre, inspire generations of filmmakers, and etch its name as a seminal work in the pantheon of Hindi cinema. Directed by Yash Chopra and produced by B.R. Chopra under the B.R. Films banner, Waqt was not just a cinematic milestone – it was a cultural phenomenon that celebrated the evolving grammar of filmmaking in Bombay.

Now, sixty years later, Waqt remains a touchstone for two major hallmarks in Hindi cinema: the rise of the multi-starrer ensemble film and the popularisation of the ‘lost-and-found’ formula, a narrative trope that dominated mainstream Indian storytelling for decades.

The Plot That Shaped a Genre

At its core, Waqt is a story about fate, time, and destiny. The film begins with the affluent Lala Kedarnath Prasanta (Balraj Sahni) who lives a blissful life with his wife (Achala Sachdev) and three sons. A devastating earthquake shatters their idyllic world, leading to the tragic separation of the family. The three sons – Ravi (Sunil Dutt), Vijay (Shashi Kapoor), and Raju (Raaj Kumar) – grow up in drastically different environments, unaware of each other’s existence. Fate, however, intervenes as their paths cross in unexpected ways.

This central premise of a family separated by catastrophe and later reunited through a chain of serendipitous events became a template – emulated, repurposed, and reimagined countless times over the following decades. While not the first to employ the theme – Ashok Kumar’s Kismet probably did it first in 1943 – Waqt perfected the formula, grounding it in high drama, lavish sets, and emotionally resonant performances.

Multi-Starrer Magic: A New Era of Star Power

Waqt was among the first Hindi films to feature an ensemble cast of leading actors, each with their own distinct fan base and screen charisma. Balraj Sahni, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Sadhana, and Sharmila Tagore brought to the film a dazzling constellation of talent, making Waqt a precursor to the multi-starrer trend that exploded in the 1970s and 1980s.

This ensemble format was more than a casting gimmick. It introduced a narrative complexity that allowed for parallel subplots, contrasting moral arcs, and dramatic tension among the characters. Unlike earlier Hindi films that typically revolved around a singular hero or heroine, Waqt opened up its story, offering multiple protagonists with overlapping destinies. In doing so, Waqt fundamentally altered audience expectations. Viewers were now drawn to the spectacle of several stars sharing screen space, witnessing how their characters clashed, collaborated, or converged. This paved the way for films like Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Trishul (1978), and even Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), which would carry forward the legacy of the ensemble family drama.

The ‘Lost and Found’ Formula: A Narrative Legacy

The ‘lost-and-found’ formula is perhaps Waqt’s most enduring contribution to Hindi film storytelling. While the trope existed in Indian mythology and earlier cinema – echoing tales like Harischandra or episodes from the Mahabharata – Waqt recontextualised it for a modern, urban India grappling with themes of fate, class, and identity.

The film didn’t just show family members being separated and reunited; it used time (waqt) as an omnipresent force – benevolent yet cruel, impartial yet poetic. The narrative suggested that no matter how far life scatters people, destiny has a way of bringing them back together. This thematic richness elevated Waqt from a mere family melodrama to a philosophical exploration of time’s mysterious power.

The success of this format was immediate and immense. Filmmakers like Manmohan Desai turned it into a masala powerhouse in the 1970s. Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Amar Akbar Anthony, and Parvarish (1977) borrowed elements from Waqt, amplifying them with song, comedy, action, and patriotism.
Indeed, the lost-and-found formula became so prevalent that it practically defined commercial Hindi cinema for two decades. Even modern films such as Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) or Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) reflect narrative echoes of Waqt, emphasising reunification, the forces of destiny, and the emotional payoff of lost connections found again.

Yash Chopra’s Directorial Breakthrough

Waqt was a turning point not only for Hindi cinema but for Yash Chopra’s career. Though he had directed a few films before, this was his first big mainstream success. His deft handling of melodrama, romance, suspense, and spectacle revealed his signature style – grand yet grounded, emotional yet elegant. The lavish sets, dramatic lighting, and precise pacing showed a young director in complete control of his craft.

The film also displayed his remarkable skill with actors. He allowed each star their moment without letting any single performance overshadow the ensemble. This delicate balancing act would become a hallmark of Chopra’s future films like Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), and Silsila (1981).

Music That Echoes Through Time

No discussion of Waqt is complete without acknowledging its evergreen music. Composed by Ravi and penned by lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, the soundtrack elevated the film’s emotional impact and continues to resonate even today. Songs like ‘Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen’, ‘Hum Jab Simat Ke’, ‘Din Hai Bahar Ke’ and ‘Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu’ are immortal classics.

‘Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen’ became an anthem for romantic nostalgia, symbolising enduring love. Sung by Manna Dey and performed on screen by Balraj Sahni, the song added a new emotional depth to an older protagonist – a rare occurrence in Hindi cinema at the time. The song captures deep romantic devotion with elegance and grace, appealing across generations. Its setting, Balraj Sahni singing to his wife, portrays mature love rarely seen in cinema. Over decades, it has become symbolic of classic Bollywood romance, celebrated for its lyrical beauty and emotional sincerity. Its universal themes of love and admiration ensure its resonance even today.

Sung hauntingly by Asha Bhosle, ‘Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu’ is marked by deep philosophical undertones – a mode Sahir was a master of. The song reflects on the uncertainty of life and the fleeting nature of time, echoing the film's central theme – how fate can unpredictably alter one’s path. Its evocative lyrics urge living in the present moment, as the future remains unknowable. In Waqt, the song plays during a glamorous party scene, ironically underscoring the fragility behind wealth and stability, reinforcing the film’s message that time governs all, often beyond our control.

Themes That Transcend Time

At its heart, Waqt is about impermanence, the unpredictability of life, and the strength of the human spirit. It explores multiple themes. Fate vs free will – can humans control their destiny, or are they merely puppets in the hands of time? Family and identity – what defines family? Blood ties, upbringing, or shared history? Social mobility and class – the three brothers grow up in vastly different economic conditions, offering commentary on class dynamics in post-independence India. Justice and redemption – the final courtroom climax reinforces moral justice, a frequent motif in Chopra’s later films.

These themes ensure that Waqt remains relatable across generations, transcending its era and format.

Cinematic Craft and Aesthetic

Visually, Waqt was opulent and sophisticated. Shot in colour, it reflected the growing aspirations of Indian cinema to match the production values of global filmmaking. From the earthquake sequence to the grand mansion interiors, the film was meticulous in its design and scale. What also worked in favour of the film is that its opulence and stars – with their elegant costumes and coiffured hairdos – offered an escape from the realities of the era: the humiliation of the China war, the death of Nehru, the war with Pakistan, food shortage and other conflicts. For a beleaguered people, Waqt came as an opiate.

Cinematographer Dharam Chopra’s compositions combined grandeur with intimacy. Whether capturing the quiet anguish in a character’s eyes or the elaborate spectacle of a courtroom scene, the camera became an emotional vehicle. The editing by Pran Mehra maintained tautness despite multiple subplots, ensuring the narrative never lagged. Its lavishness raised audience expectations. It elevated melodrama into mainstream art. Unlike cruder emotional narratives, Waqt showed that melodrama could be dignified, stylish, and poignant.

Then there are the dialogues. The dialogues in Waqt, especially those delivered by Raaj Kumar, have become iconic for their poetic sharpness, philosophical weight, and theatrical flair. His lines – Jinke ghar sheeshe ke hon… and Yeh bachchon ke khelne ki cheez nahi – have transcended ordinary cinematic dialogue, entering the realm of aphorisms. These are not dialogues for dialogues’ sake; they reflect character depth, social warning, and emotional control delivered with Raaj Kumar’s signature gravitas. Perhaps the most enduring line, Kismat hatheli mein nahi, insaan ke baazuon mein hoti hai, epitomises the film’s core theme: destiny shaped by action, not divination. It resonates with generations because it appeals to self-belief and agency, ideas universally powerful across time.

A Timeless Legacy

Sixty years on, Waqt remains a cinematic jewel, not only for its pioneering format but for its emotional resonance and thematic depth. It was a product of its time, yet it speaks across generations. The film reminds us that life is unpredictable, but love, family, and fate can endure even the harshest tests of time.

Its success changed the landscape of Hindi cinema, opening doors for richer narratives, ensemble storytelling, and emotionally layered commercial films. In its echoes, we hear the heartbeats of hundreds of films that came after it, each trying to capture the same magic that Waqt so effortlessly delivered.
As Bollywood continues to evolve, Waqt stands not just as a relic of the past but as a blueprint for storytelling that is emotionally epic, visually grand, and fundamentally human. Its story, like time itself, is eternal.