Sriman Prithviraj (1973)

Ayan Banerjee and Mahua Roychoudhury as the child-couple are still remembered lovingly. Such a simple story of love is entertaining as well as inspiring. Moreover, the blend of the pre-Independence political backdrop with the simple love life of the newlywed is excellently portrayed. On one hand you have the caricature of a typical Babu, who’s hell-bent on getting the ‘Raibahadur’ title from the British rulers played excellently by Utpal Dutt, and on the other hand you have Biswajit, a Swadeshi who is out to teach the British rulers a lesson. The main focus is on Ayan, a notorious boy. To curb him, his parents get him married to Utpal Dutt’s daughter, Mohua. But he creates havoc in his in-laws’ house as well. The interplay between the two, their becoming friends, missing each other, understanding responsibilities towards each other all make for a charming love story.

This is essentially a comedy with Tom Sawyeresque leanings laced elegantly into the fabric of Bengal of the late 19th or early 20th century. In the subtle backdrop of the Indian freedom movement, it is the story of the transformation of a young boy's innocent but naughty childhood to an appreciation of the Swadeshi movement and the growth of adolescent love for a girl even younger than him. The comedy is exceedingly natural and free-flowing. It includes a number of beautifully rendered traditional Bengali songs and is punctuated by a series of stand-offs faced by the young boy, mostly with unfavourable results for the opposing party. At heart, it is a beautiful pre-pubescent/adolescent love story. It was a huge box-office success when it came out and is an oft-watched movie even today.