# Khushboo
**Khushboo** (खुशबू; transl. Aroma) is a 1975 Hindi-language drama film directed by Gulzar, starring [Jeetendra](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeetendra) as Dr. Brindaban and [Hema Malini](https://www.edgepedia.org/hema-malini) as Kusum, with music composed by Rahul Dev Burman (R.D. Burman)[1](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/861/bollywood.hindi/khushboo/index.htm) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzlEKd1uhYw). It was produced by Prasan Kapoor under the Tirupati Pictures banner and presented by Jeetendra[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VtNWuAe0kw). The film is based on the [Bengali novel](https://www.edgepedia.org/bengali-novel) *Panditmashai* by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, which had earlier been filmed in Bengali in 1951 by Naresh Mitra[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzlEKd1uhYw).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writers | Gulzar (his sixth film as director); screenplay by Gulzar, D.N. Mukherjee, and Bhushan Banmali; story by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay[4](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215900/fullcredits/) |
| Source | Bengali novel *Panditmashai* by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, earlier filmed in Bengali in 1951 by Naresh Mitra[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzlEKd1uhYw) |
| Lead cast | Jeetendra (Dr. Brindaban), Hema Malini (Kusum), Sharmila Tagore (Lakhi), Asrani (Kunj)[1](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/861/bollywood.hindi/khushboo/index.htm) |
| Music | R.D. Burman; songs include "O Majhi Re" (Kishore Kumar), "Do Nainon Mein Aansoo Bhare Hain", "Bechara Dil Kya Kare" (Asha Bhosle), and "Ghar Jayegi"[1](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/861/bollywood.hindi/khushboo/index.htm) • [6](https://www.hemantonline.com/i/khushboo-dvd-1975) |
| Production | Tirupati Pictures; producer Prasan Kapoor; cinematography by K. Vaikunth[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VtNWuAe0kw) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215900/fullcredits/) |
| Runtime / rating | 2 hours 12 minutes; IMDb 7.3/10[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/khushboo) |
| Release | Listed as 1 January 1975 by Bollywood Hungama and Nowrunning; FMDb lists 8 May 1975[8](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/khushboo-3/cast/) • [9](https://fmdb.mov/movie/83910-khushboo) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Kusum and Brindavan are married off to each other as children, but unfortunate circumstances separate them[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khushboo). Kusum has Brindavan's name tattooed on her arm; believing he has betrayed her, she burns her arm to erase the tattoo[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/khushboo). As an adult, Kusum refuses to remarry and looks after a wealthy ailing woman in her village, while Brindavan, now a doctor with a young son named Charan, is called in to treat the woman[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khushboo) • [4](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/). Kusum's antagonism toward Brindaban fades when the circumstances of his marriage to Lakhi ([Sharmila Tagore](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharmila-tagore)), a woman he saved from suicide, are explained[11](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dinesh/20030412.htm). A bond develops between Kusum and Charan, and the film moves toward the couple's reconciliation[12](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/khushboo-1975-review-smprnsnuum).
## Kusum as a character
Gulzar made Khushboo as his sixth film as director, and ThePrint's retrospective describes it as built around a strong woman with a capacity for love that does not come at the cost of her pride and dignity[4](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/). At a time when women had little say in relationships and matrimony, Kusum is shown exercising her choice freely[4](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/).
Hema Malini, then a mainstream star, said the film changed her image: "I was too young to realise what kind of a strong character I was playing in that film (Khushboo), but this changed my image — I didn't have to wear bell-bottoms and fancy wigs or run around trees." She appears in simple cotton sarees with minimal makeup[4](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/). The film was released in the same year as *Sholay*, in which her Basanti differs sharply from Kusum[4](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/).
## Music
The Gulzar and R.D. Burman collaboration produced the film's songs, with Gulzar as lyricist and playback singing by [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar), Lata Mangeshkar, and [Asha Bhosle](https://www.edgepedia.org/asha-bhosle)[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215900/fullcredits/). "O Majhi Re", sung by Kishore Kumar, became famous for both its lyrics and melody; "Do Nainon Mein Aansoo Bhare Hain" and "Bechara Dil Kya Kare" were also popular[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzlEKd1uhYw). A soundtrack release on 7-inch vinyl appeared on the [His Master's Voice](https://www.edgepedia.org/his-masters-voice) label in India in 1974[13](https://musicbrainz.org/release/b3a5b013-1846-482f-b274-771bbbe827d0/details).
## Style and reception
Rediff's retrospective notes that Gulzar enriched the story with a leisurely exposition centered on a lush Bengali riverside village, and added humor through Kusum's friend Manno, played by [Farida Jalal](https://www.edgepedia.org/farida-jalal)[11](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dinesh/20030412.htm). [The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club)'s history of 1970s [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) groups Khushboo with Gulzar's naturalist works such as *Parichay* (1972) and *Mausam* (1975), and notes that its source novelist Sarat Chandra Chatterjee was also the author of *Devdas*[14](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-two).
The film holds a 7.3/10 rating on IMDb and streams on Amazon Prime Video in India[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/khushboo). Rotten Tomatoes lists a Tomatometer of 75% from one review[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khushboo).
## Other films of the same name
The title Khushboo has been reused. A 2008 Hindi romance directed by Rajesh Ram Singh, starring Rishi Rehan and Avantikka with music by [Adnan Sami](https://www.edgepedia.org/adnan-sami), received a 1.5/5 review rating from Bollywood Hungama[15](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/khushboo/critic-review/khushboo-movie-review/). Khushboo is also the name of a Tamil film actress and politician, Khushboo Sundar, born 1970 in Bombay, who became a major star in [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema)[16](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/khushboo) • [17](https://nfaindia.org/images/pdf/70th%20National%20Film%20Award%20Catalogue.pdf).
## References
1. [Khushboo Hindi Movie, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/861/bollywood.hindi/khushboo/index.htm)
2. [Khushboo खुशबू (1975) Full HD Hindi Movie, YouTube (Bollywood Premium)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzlEKd1uhYw)
3. [Hema Malini - Jeetendra - Sharmila Tagore Full Movie, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VtNWuAe0kw)
4. ['Khushboo' — how Gulzar captured a strong woman who loves but won't be a pushover, ThePrint (2021)](https://theprint.in/feature/khushboo-how-gulzar-captured-a-strong-woman-who-loves-but-wont-be-a-pushover/731666/)
5. [Khushboo (1975) - Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215900/fullcredits/)
6. [Khushboo DVD-1975, Hemantonline](https://www.hemantonline.com/i/khushboo-dvd-1975)
7. [Khushboo streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/khushboo)
8. [Khushboo Cast & Crew, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/khushboo-3/cast/)
9. [Khushboo (1975), FMDb](https://fmdb.mov/movie/83910-khushboo)
10. [Khushboo, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khushboo)
11. [Khushboo: Gulzar's unforgettable magic, Rediff.com (2003)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dinesh/20030412.htm)
12. [Aroma of Love... - Khushboo 1975, MouthShut review](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/khushboo-1975-review-smprnsnuum)
13. [Release "Khushboo" by Rahul Dev Burman & Gulzar, MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/release/b3a5b013-1846-482f-b274-771bbbe827d0/details)
14. [A history of Hindi cinema: The 1970s, part two, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-two)
15. [Khushboo Movie Review (2008), Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/khushboo/critic-review/khushboo-movie-review/)
16. [Khushboo Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/khushboo)
17. [70th National Film Award Catalogue, National Film Archive of India](https://nfaindia.org/images/pdf/70th%20National%20Film%20Award%20Catalogue.pdf)
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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 of the 1970s › Released 1970 to 1975*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license