# Andaz (अंदाज़) (1949 film)
**Andaz** (अंदाज़; "Style"), also known as *A Matter of Style* or *Beau Monde*, is a 1949 Hindi-language black-and-white melodrama directed and produced by [Mehboob Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/mehboob-khan), starring [Dilip Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/dilip-kumar), Nargis, and [Raj Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/raj-kapoor) in a love triangle[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf) • [2](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf). It was a major box-office success and is counted among the important films of Hindi cinema's golden age[3](https://www.matrubharti.com/book/read/content/3607/rajkapoor-cinema-ka-jan-nayak) • [4](https://en.bharatdiscovery.org/india/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%AC_%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%AB%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%85%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B0).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 21 March 1949, at the Liberty cinema, Bombay[3](https://www.matrubharti.com/book/read/content/3607/rajkapoor-cinema-ka-jan-nayak) |
| Director and producer | Mehboob Khan, for Mehboob Productions[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf) |
| Lead cast | Dilip Kumar (Dilip), Nargis (Neena/Nina), Raj Kapoor (Rajan)[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf) |
| Music | Naushad; lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri (with Shakeel Badayuni also credited)[2](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf) • [5](https://lyricsindia.net/movies/year/1949) |
| Runtime | 148 minutes (some sources list 142 or 143 minutes)[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf) • [2](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf) |
| Distinction | The only film in which Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor starred together[6](https://www.filmfare.com/features/100-filmfare-days-8-andaaz-6004.html) |
| Standing | One of the first Hindi films to depict a love triangle[7](https://cukerala.ac.in/cukpdfs/IQAC/3.4.7/3.4.7.ECL.052.pdf) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Neena (Nargis) is the wealthy, westernized daughter of a rich businessman (Sapru as Sir Badriprasad)[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf) • [8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). After she loses control of her horse and is rescued by the stranger Dilip (Dilip Kumar), a close friendship develops; her father disapproves of the time she spends with Dilip, warning that Dilip could mistake her friendship for love[11](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/andaz/2030142406/). After her father dies of heart failure, Neena makes Dilip the manager and co-owner of her father's business empire[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz).
Dilip's hopes are dashed when Neena takes him to the airport to meet Rajan (Raj Kapoor), returning from several years in London, who turns out to be her fiancé; she marries him[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). Soon after the wedding Dilip confesses his love, which Neena rejects, considering him only a friend; Rajan nevertheless grows suspicious of his wife's fidelity[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz) • [12](https://palify.io/articles/view-article/depiction-of-women-and-female-sexuality-in-post-independence-era). The tensions erupt in a violent clash in which Rajan attacks Dilip with a tennis racket; when Dilip recovers and advances on Neena, she shoots him and is jailed for murder[2](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf).
## Production and release
Mehboob Khan both produced and directed the film under his banner Mehboob Productions[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf). The story was by Shums Lucknavi, the screenplay and dialogues by S. Ali Raza, the music by Naushad, the songs by [Majrooh Sultanpuri](https://www.edgepedia.org/majrooh-sultanpuri), and the cinematography by Faredoon A. Irani[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). It premiered on 21 March 1949 at the Liberty cinema in Bombay[3](https://www.matrubharti.com/book/read/content/3607/rajkapoor-cinema-ka-jan-nayak).
Bringing Dilip Kumar, Nargis, and Raj Kapoor together has been described as one of the biggest casting coups of the time, though a contemporary retrospective notes that all three were still early in their careers and had not yet attained superstar status, so the pairing was less remarkable then than it later appeared[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/raj-kapoor-nargis-dilip-kumar-andaz-jails-the-woman-men-attempt-murder-no-consequences-8556324/lite/) • [10](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/andaz/user-reviews/andaz-movie-review-by-rabbipantho/). It remained the only film in which Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor appeared together[6](https://www.filmfare.com/features/100-filmfare-days-8-andaaz-6004.html). Casting was not without friction: cameraman Faredoon Irani was unhappy with Dilip Kumar's casting and allegedly asked "Who's this monkey?" when Khan first walked onto the set[6](https://www.filmfare.com/features/100-filmfare-days-8-andaaz-6004.html).
## Themes
Like many films of the immediate post-[Independence](https://www.edgepedia.org/independence) era, Andaz is a tragedy of manners about the allure and danger of modern western lifestyles, with the danger falling unequally on women: nationalist ideology cast woman as the embodiment of tradition and the guardian of male honor, so any flirtation with the modern carried the greatest risk for her[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). The plot's misunderstandings arise in a world of verbal codes that discourage straightforward speech[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). The film's ending underlined the message that "modern" ways are dangerous[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf).
Later commentary has read the film both ways. The film critic [Anupama Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/anupama-chopra), a film journalist and author, calls it "both regressive and path-breaking": its worldview that a woman who follows western mores can only meet a tragic end has aged poorly, yet [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema)'s love triangles and its recurring debates over platonic friendship trace back to it[13](https://letterboxd.com/anupamachopra/film/andaz/). A 2023 Indian Express retrospective notes that the film blames Neena throughout, while Rajan attacks Dilip nearly to death and walks away without consequence, and the law punishes only Neena[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/raj-kapoor-nargis-dilip-kumar-andaz-jails-the-woman-men-attempt-murder-no-consequences-8556324/lite/).
## Music
Naushad's score, with ten songs mainly sung by the characters of Dilip and Neena, is regarded as a major strength of the film[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). Memorable numbers include Dilip's romantic *Tu kahe agar* ("If you but say…"), his melancholy *Toote na dil toote na* ("Don't break, O my heart"), and Neena's mournful *Uthaye ja unke sitam* ("Take away his oppression") and *Tor diya dil mera* ("He has broken my heart")[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz). The DFF catalog also lists *Jhoom jhoom ke nacho aaj* among the Naushad classics[1](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf).
A notable reversal in playback casting had [Mukesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/mukesh-singer) singing for Dilip Kumar and Mohammed Rafi for Raj Kapoor, the opposite of their later customary pairings[6](https://www.filmfare.com/features/100-filmfare-days-8-andaaz-6004.html). [Lata Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/lata-mangeshkar) also sang for the film[10](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/andaz/user-reviews/andaz-movie-review-by-rabbipantho/).
## Reception and legacy
The film was a box-office success, described in Hindi-language accounts as a superhit whose earnings made history that year[3](https://www.matrubharti.com/book/read/content/3607/rajkapoor-cinema-ka-jan-nayak) • [14](https://www.jagran.com/entertainment/bollywood-raj-kapoor-dilip-kumar-only-film-was-andaz-became-superhit-on-box-office-in-1949-40271157.html). Its success lifted all three leads: after Andaz, Dilip Kumar came to be known as the "tragedy king" of Indian cinema, and the film marked Raj Kapoor's first box-office success[3](https://www.matrubharti.com/book/read/content/3607/rajkapoor-cinema-ka-jan-nayak) • [10](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/andaz/user-reviews/andaz-movie-review-by-rabbipantho/).
Its influence on Hindi filmmaking has been described as lasting: the film's popularity gave rise to multi-starrer romances, and it has been called a precursor to the [Yash Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/yash-chopra) formula of stylized, upper-class characters falling in love in exotic locales[6](https://www.filmfare.com/features/100-filmfare-days-8-andaaz-6004.html). The film also cemented the reputation of Raj Kapoor and Nargis as the couple of Hindi cinema's golden age[15](https://www.noahcowanfilm.com/south-asian-cinema/the-golden-age-of-indian-cinema). Raj Kapoor later repeated several of its motifs, including the jealous-husband role, in his 1964 film *Sangam*[8](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz) • [10](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/andaz/user-reviews/andaz-movie-review-by-rabbipantho/).
The film remains available for streaming in India on ShemarooMe, free with ads[16](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/andaz-1949).
## References
1. [Andaz, Films Division, Indian Panorama catalogue (2009)](https://www.dff.nic.in/images/Documents/115_IPCatalogue2009.pdf)
2. [Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Andaz entry](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf)
3. [RajKapoor: Cinema ka Jan Nayak, biography by Vinod Viplav, Matrubharti](https://www.matrubharti.com/book/read/content/3607/rajkapoor-cinema-ka-jan-nayak)
4. [महबूब ख़ान का फ़िल्मी कॅरियर, भारतकोश](https://en.bharatdiscovery.org/india/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%AC_%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%AB%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%85%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B0)
5. [LyricsIndia: Movies in 1949](https://lyricsindia.net/movies/year/1949)
6. [100 Filmfare Days: 8 – Andaaz, Filmfare (30 April 2014)](https://www.filmfare.com/features/100-filmfare-days-8-andaaz-6004.html)
7. [Course module on Indian cinema, Central University of Kerala](https://cukerala.ac.in/cukpdfs/IQAC/3.4.7/3.4.7.ECL.052.pdf)
8. [Andaz, Indian Cinema, University of Iowa](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/andaz)
9. [This Raj Kapoor-Nargis film jails the woman for being friends with a man, The Indian Express (15 April 2023)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/raj-kapoor-nargis-dilip-kumar-andaz-jails-the-woman-men-attempt-murder-no-consequences-8556324/lite/)
10. [Andaz movie review by rabbipantho, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/andaz/user-reviews/andaz-movie-review-by-rabbipantho/)
11. [Andaz, Where to Watch and Stream, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/andaz/2030142406/)
12. [Depiction of Women & Female Sexuality in Post-Independence Era, Palify](https://palify.io/articles/view-article/depiction-of-women-and-female-sexuality-in-post-independence-era)
13. [Andaz review by Anupama Chopra, Letterboxd (first published in Mumbai Mirror)](https://letterboxd.com/anupamachopra/film/andaz/)
14. [Raj Kapoor-Dilip Kumar's only film Andaz became a superhit at the box office in 1949, Jagran](https://www.jagran.com/entertainment/bollywood-raj-kapoor-dilip-kumar-only-film-was-andaz-became-superhit-on-box-office-in-1949-40271157.html)
15. [Raj Kapoor & The Golden Age of Indian Cinema, Noah Cowan](https://www.noahcowanfilm.com/south-asian-cinema/the-golden-age-of-indian-cinema)
16. [Andaz (1949) streaming, JustWatch India](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/andaz-1949)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films before 1970*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license