Mughal-e-Azam was the highest-grossing movie of 1960.
It was with the 1960 film Chaudhvin Ka Chand that the legendary actor, Guru Dutt and veteran actress Waheeda Rehman became a hit pair.
The 60s was the golden era in Bollywood. It was the period of exploring creativity and producing some of the most memorable and ever-green movies that are still relevant today. That was also the time when Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Meena Kumari and Padmini were ruling the silver screens with their enigmatic presence. This marked the era of versatility in terms of storytelling, experimenting with genres like history, politics, romance and many others.
The year 1960 specifically witnessed a lot of evergreen hit movies. Here are a few movies that were exceptionally made and continue to create an everlasting impression on the minds of viewers.
Mughal-e-Azam
Mughal-e-Azam was a historical drama that changed the face of Indian cinema. It was one of the most iconic and landmark movies of Bollywood that broke all box office records in India and became the highest-grossing Indian film. The magnum opus was directed by K Asif and starred the tragedy king, Dilip Kumar opposite the diva of that era, Madhubala as Salim and Anarkali respectively. Apart from them, Prithviraj Kapoor, Durga Khote and Ajit also featured in important roles.
Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai
Radhu Karmakar got a break as a director and went on to deliver a box-office hit movie titled Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai. It starred Raj Kapoor, Padmini and Pran in pivotal roles. The film tells the story of an orphaned man Raju who ends with a group of good bandits who later go off the rails. The makers attempted to show them the path of righteousness.
Barsaat Ki Raat
PL Santoshi’s Barsaat Ki Raat was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1960. The film became the buzz of the town after its release. The movie is set among the aristocratic urban Muslims in Independent India and revolves around two lovers- a poor poet/singer and the daughter of a Police Commissioner, who want to be together, but face many obstacles as the woman’s family disapproves of their relationship. The movie featured Madhubala, Bharat Bhushan and Shyama in key roles.
Kanoon
The courtroom drama was driven by BR Chopra, way before he directed the historical epic, Mahabharat in 1988. BR Chopra’s Kanoon starred Rajendra Kumar Tuli, Ashok Kumar and Nanda Karnataki, among others. It is a complex story where the lawyer is the eyewitness to a murder, but an innocent man was caught at the crime scene. He is torn between his need to save an innocent man versus the real criminal who is his mentor, future father-in-law and his mentor.
Kohinoor
In 1960, Kohinoor was yet another hit by Dilip Kumar. It was directed by SU Sunny and also starred Meena Kumari in the lead. The movie won the hearts of the audience and became the third-highest-grossing film of the year. It shows the tragedy king and queen, Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari in light-hearted roles as opposed to their intense characters in previous movies. Kohinoor captured sword fights, songs and dances and also highlighted some comical and funny scenes by Meena Kumari.
Chaudhvin Ka Chand
It was with the 1960 film Chaudhvin Ka Chand that the legendary actor, Guru Dutt and veteran actress Waheeda Rehman became a hit pair and their chemistry was well-received by the audience. The movie was a box office hit and was the highest-fourth-grossing film of the year.
