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Producer and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “1942: A Love Story” was released in 1993 and boasted of a star cast consisting of Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher and Pran. The association of R D Burman as the music director of the movie ensures it being a hit musical definitely.

As the title suggests, the film is based in 1942 when India was under British colonial rule and protests and revolutionary meetings against the British were the primary activity of the people not employed under the British rule. During such chaotic times, two young hearts discover love when Anil sees Manish and is a victim of love at first sight. The movie also circles around the class difference between the two lovers’ social status since Anil is the son of a wealthy British loyalist. To add fuel to the drama, Manisha’s father, Pran is involved in the movements against the British. The drama intensifies when Anil has to choose between his love and his father and his loyalty towards British but the spark for national love gets kindled in Anil’s heart and he becomes a revolutionary himself who joins the movements against the colonial rule.

The film has all the ingredients of a successful commercial movie: be it the love story, rich-poor scheme to the love story, national sentiments, juxtaposition to choose between family and love and many others. The direction and the music of the movie deserve special mention and no single character in the film has been loosely dealt with. Still the love story part of the movie could have been reduced a bit to keep up the pace of the movie.