{ "id": "epejtg3tma", "slug": "mehbooba", "title": "Mehbooba (महबूबा)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema", "label": "Indian films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s", "label": "Hindi films of the 1970s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "label": "Released 1976 to 1979", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000: Released 1976 to 1979", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema", "label": "Indian films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s", "label": "Hindi films of the 1970s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "label": "Released 1976 to 1979", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Mehbooba (महबूबा) is a 1976 Hindi reincarnation romance directed by Shakti Samanta, starring Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini, with R.D. Burman music; distinct from the Sholay song and the 2008 film of the same name.", "snippet": "Mehbooba (महबूबा) is a 1976 Hindi reincarnation romance directed by Shakti Samanta, starring Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini, with R.D. Burman music; distinct from the Sholay song and the 2008 film of the same name.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "markdown": "# Mehbooba (महबूबा)\n\n**Mehbooba** (महबूबा) is a 1976 Hindi-language reincarnation romance directed by Shakti Samanta, starring [Rajesh Khanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajesh-khanna) and [Hema Malini](https://www.edgepedia.org/hema-malini) in double roles as lovers separated in a past life and reunited in the present[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/). It was produced by Mushir Alam and Mohammad Riaz under the M R Productions banner of Bombay, with music by [R. D. Burman](https://www.edgepedia.org/r-d-burman) and lyrics by Anand Bakshi[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979).\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | 1976; censor certificate U-82120 passed in Bombay on 19 July 1976[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979) • [4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-details/mehbooba/movieshow/61339816.cms) |\n| Director / producers | Shakti Samanta; Mushir Alam and Mohammad Riaz (Mushir-Riaz)[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/) |\n| Writers | Story and screenplay by Gulshan Nanda; dialogues by Akhtar Romani[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/) |\n| Music | R. D. Burman; lyrics Anand Bakshi; playback singers Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, and Manna Dey[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979) • [1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1) |\n| Lead cast | Rajesh Khanna as Prakash/Suraj; Hema Malini as Ratna/Jhumri; Prem Chopra as Appa[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/) |\n| Technical | 35 mm color, 17 reels, 4,597.91 meters; run time given as 134 minutes by IMDb and Cinemaazi, while the censor record lists 167 minutes 37 seconds[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1) • [3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979) |\n| Genre | Drama, romance; a reincarnation (rebirth-redemption) story[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-details/mehbooba/movieshow/61339816.cms) • [6](https://www.jmionline.org/articles/2011/the_persistence_of_rajasthan_in_indian_cinema_one_region_so_many_views.pdf) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nSuraj (Rajesh Khanna) is a successful modern pop singer who earns fame and money with his voice and guitar[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1). On his way to a singing assignment arranged by his secretary, his car breaks down in a rainstorm, and taking shelter he finds himself near Chandangarh. Exploring the empty corridors of the palace there, he is haunted by the feeling that he has been in the place before, and a portrait on the wall of a dusty room brings memories of a past life flooding back[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1).\n\nIn that earlier life Suraj was Prakash, a court musician and singer, a sitarist and vocalist of note in the durbar of Chandangarh. Ratna (Hema Malini) was the royal court dancer, and the two fall in love through their music. Prakash learns that Ratna is the daughter of a famous courtesan of Lucknow, and he is himself bound by a childhood betrothal to Jamuna (Yogeeta Bali), daughter of a conservative Thakur family[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1). When the lovers flee, the Thakur pursues them with guns and horses; their buggy goes over a cliff and they die in each other's arms, their souls promising to meet again[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1).\n\nIn the present, after seeing the portrait, Suraj meets a gypsy, Jhumri, who looks exactly like Ratna. Jhumri in turn recollects her own past life and her love for Prakash, and the two must work out what this memory means for their present lives[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/mehbooba-1976).\n\n## Cast and crew\n\nRajesh Khanna plays the double role of Prakash and Suraj, and Hema Malini plays Ratna and Jhumri[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/). The supporting cast includes [Prem Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/prem-chopra) as Appa, Asrani as Sinha, Asha Sachdev as Rita Malhotra, Sujit Kumar as Dr. Vinod, Manmohan Krishna as Bandhe Ali Khan, Madan Puri as Sardar, Meena T. as Gauri, Nazir Hussain as Guruji, Leela Mishra as Jhumri's mother, Chandrashekhar as Thakur Himmat Singh, and Yogeeta Bali as Jamuna Singh[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/) • [8](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/mehbooba-3/cast/). The Hindi Film Database records [Madan Puri](https://www.edgepedia.org/madan-puri) and Yogita Bali as guest appearances[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979).\n\nBehind the camera, Aloke Dasgupta was the cinematographer, Bijoy Chowdhary the editor, Shanti Dass the art director, Gopi Krishna handled dances, and M. B. Shetty was the action director[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/) • [1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1). Shooting took place at Natraj Studios[1](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1).\n\n## Music\n\nR. D. Burman composed the score, with assistant music directors Basu Chakravarti, Manohari Singh, and Maruti Rao Keer, and the soundtrack was released on the HMV label[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979). The film has eight songs listed by the Hindi Film Database, all with lyrics by [Anand Bakshi](https://www.edgepedia.org/anand-bakshi). They include \"Mere Naina Savan Bhadon\", recorded in separate versions by [Lata Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/lata-mangeshkar) and [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar); \"Goree Toree Paijaniya\" sung by Manna Dey; \"Jamuna Kinare A Ja\" and \"Chalo Ree\" by Lata Mangeshkar; and a mujra number, \"Aapke Shahar Mein Aee Hoon Shauk Se\", also sung by Mangeshkar[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979).\n\n## Place in the reincarnation genre\n\nReincarnation is a recurring plot device in Bombay cinema, and a survey of the device lists Mehbooba (1976) alongside [Madhumati](https://www.edgepedia.org/madhumati) (1958), Milan (1967), Neelkamal (1968), Karz (1980), Bees Saal Baad (1988), and [Karan Arjun](https://www.edgepedia.org/karan-arjun) (1995)[9](https://www.filmandmedia.ucsb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Metafiguring-Bollywood-pdf.pdf). A study of [Rajasthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan) in Indian cinema places Mehbooba among the strong representatives of the rebirth-redemption genre of Rajasthan films, noting its connections with tragic desert love tales such as the ballad of Dhola and Maru[6](https://www.jmionline.org/articles/2011/the_persistence_of_rajasthan_in_indian_cinema_one_region_so_many_views.pdf). Reviewers on Letterboxd have likewise read the film as a reincarnation romance in the tradition of Madhumati, with one noting the homage to that earlier film in the opening stretch[10](https://letterboxd.com/film/mehbooba-1976/reviews/).\n\n## Reception and other films of the same name\n\nThe film holds a 6.5/10 rating on IMDb from about 210 user votes[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/). It is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video in India[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/mehbooba-1976).\n\nThe title has been used more than once: the Hindi Film Database remarks that a film with the same title was also passed by the Censor Board in 1954, 1965, and 2008[3](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979). The 2008 film Mehbooba, directed by Afzal Khan and starring [Sanjay Dutt](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjay-dutt), Ajay Devgan, and [Manisha Koirala](https://www.edgepedia.org/manisha-koirala), is a separate work[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mehbooba). The title should also not be confused with \"Mehbooba Mehbooba\", the well-known R. D. Burman song sung by Helen in [Ramesh Sippy](https://www.edgepedia.org/ramesh-sippy)'s Sholay (1975), which is a different work despite sharing the composer and a word of the title[12](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14746680500234462).\n\n## References\n\n1. [Mehbooba (1976), Cinemaazi](https://www.cinemaazi.com/film/mehbooba-1)\n2. [Mehbooba (1976), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/)\n3. [Mehbooba, Hindi Film Database (Hamraaz)](https://hamraaz.org/filmssite/public/film.php?id=4979)\n4. [Mehbooba, The Times of India eTimes](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-details/mehbooba/movieshow/61339816.cms)\n5. [Mehbooba (1976) full cast and crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268449/fullcredits/)\n6. [Kaushik Bhaumik, The Persistence of Rajasthan in Indian Cinema, JMI](https://www.jmionline.org/articles/2011/the_persistence_of_rajasthan_in_indian_cinema_one_region_so_many_views.pdf)\n7. [Mehbooba streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/mehbooba-1976)\n8. [Mehbooba cast and crew, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/mehbooba-3/cast/)\n9. [Figurations in Indian Film, UC Santa Barbara](https://www.filmandmedia.ucsb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Metafiguring-Bollywood-pdf.pdf)\n10. [Reviews of Mehbooba (1976), Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/film/mehbooba-1976/reviews/)\n11. [Mehbooba (2008), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mehbooba)\n12. [Bollywood Flashback, Taylor & Francis](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14746680500234462)\n\n---\n*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 of the 1970s › Released 1976 to 1979*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Mehbooba (महबूबा)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Mehbooba (महबूबा)](https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba](https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Mehbooba (महबूबा)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/mehbooba. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Mehbooba is a 1976 Hindi reincarnation romance directed by Shakti Samanta, starring Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini, with R.D." }