History,War,Fantasy
India
Amrapali is a 1966 Indian historical drama film directed by Lekh Tandon. The movie is based on the life of Amrapali, a courtesan of the ancient Indian kingdom of Vaishali. The film stars Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt in the lead roles.
Emperor Ajaatshatru, played by Sunil Dutt, is a powerful ruler who sets out to conquer the neighboring kingdom of Vaishali. However, his army is defeated and he is forced to retreat. Ajaatshatru, wanting to avenge his defeat, decides to infiltrate the Vaishali army by disguising himself as a soldier. He finds himself drawn to Amrapali, the beautiful and talented courtesan who performs for the soldiers.
As he spends more time in Vaishali, Ajaatshatru starts to question his motives and begins to see the value of the Vaishali way of life. He falls deeply in love with Amrapali, played by Vyjayanthimala, and their love story becomes the heart of the movie. Ajaatshatru's loyalty is put to the test as he struggles to reconcile his duties as a conqueror with his feelings for Amrapali and his admiration for the Vaishali people.
The movie features stunning dance sequences choreographed by the legendary Kathak dancer, Birju Maharaj. The music by Shankar-Jaikishan is equally magnificent, with songs like "Tumhe Yaad Karte Karte" and "Neel Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein" becoming popular hits.
Amrapali was regarded as one of the most expensive movies made at the time of its release. Despite its critical and commercial success, it was not selected as India's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, which created controversy. Nevertheless, the film remains a cult classic and a milestone in Indian cinema.
