# Shor (शोर)
**Shor** (शोर; translation: Noise) is a 1972 Indian Hindi-language drama film written, produced, directed, and edited by Manoj Kumar, who also plays the lead role of Shankar, a mill worker raising money for surgery to restore his mute son's voice.[1](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234724/) The film stars Manoj Kumar alongside Jaya Bhaduri (Bachchan), Nanda, and [Prem Nath](https://www.edgepedia.org/prem-nath), with music by the composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal.[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full credits | Written, produced, directed, and edited by Manoj Kumar, who also stars as Shankar[1](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972) |
| Lead cast | Manoj Kumar (Shankar), Jaya Bhaduri (Raat Ki Rani/Rani), Nanda (Geeta), Prem Nath (Khan Badshah), Kamini Kaushal (Shankar's mother)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shor) |
| Music | Laxmikant-Pyarelal; songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor, and Manna Dey[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html) • [5](https://www.lyricsoff.com/songs/shor-1972-songs) |
| Signature songs | "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai" (Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, lyrics by Santosh Anand) and "Paani Re Paani"[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html) |
| Award | Filmfare Award for Best Editing at the 20th Filmfare Awards[6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) |
| Remake | Remade in Tamil as *Osai*[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html) |
| Reception | IMDb rating 7.6/10 from 448 user votes[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234724/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Shankar, a mill worker, lives happily with his wife Geeta and their son Deepak. While Deepak is playing at a railway track, Geeta rescues him from an oncoming train and is run over and killed; the accident damages Deepak's vocal cords so that he cannot speak.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234724/) • [7](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/shor) A doctor tells Shankar that an operation can restore Deepak's voice, but Shankar cannot afford the cost and resolves to raise the money himself.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234724/)
Shankar's mother, sister, Khan Badshah, and Rani, a street performer known as Raat Ki Rani, support his efforts, and he enters a grueling endurance contest, riding a bicycle for eight days straight to win the money, that puts his life at risk.[8](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shor) • [9](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one) The operation succeeds, but on the day Shankar is to hear his son speak, he is injured in an accident at the factory and loses his hearing.[6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) The father who lived only to hear his son's voice becomes deaf just as the son regains it.[10](https://assets.moviebuff.com/shor)
## Themes and style
**Noise as motif.** The title, which means "noise," is treated as a theme throughout the film. It opens with the signature tune of [All India Radio](https://www.edgepedia.org/all-india-radio)/Vividh Bharati and an extended sequence showing how noisy the city is from the moment it wakes: clattering trains, jet planes, fighting cocks, and blaring radios. The Tuli Research Centre describes noise pollution as a recurring motif symbolizing the chaos of urban life and the barriers it creates between people, and notes that the film addressed the dangers of noise pollution at a time when governments treated it as a mere nuisance.[1](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972) • [11](https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/manoj-kumar-the-man-who-made-a-16000-foot-long-celluloid-flag-of-india-9925249/lite/)
**Social themes.** The film addresses poverty and disability, and it takes an explicitly pro-worker stance: Shankar belongs to his factory's union and joins a hunger strike against a mill owner who refuses to raise wages in line with inflation, even though the lost wages hinder his ability to pay for the surgery.[1](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972) • [9](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one) The film also emphasizes communal harmony through the character Khan Badshah, who stands in solidarity with Shankar.[1](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972)
**Visual approach.** Shot by cinematographer Nariman Irani, the film uses contrapuntal montage, including a funeral procession chanting "Ram Naam Satya Hai" cutting across a wedding band, and quick montage shots that recall [Charlie Chaplin](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlie-chaplin)'s *Modern Times*, such as a flock of sheep cutting to crowds of factory workers.[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/manoj-kumar-the-man-who-made-a-16000-foot-long-celluloid-flag-of-india-9925249/lite/)
## Production and release
Manoj Kumar conceived the film while relaxing at his farmhouse near Delhi, when friends commented that the area was peaceful and there was no "shor" in the vicinity.[10](https://assets.moviebuff.com/shor) • [6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) According to retrospective accounts, he first approached [Shatrughan Sinha](https://www.edgepedia.org/shatrughan-sinha), who could not give dates, and [Sharmila Tagore](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharmila-tagore) and Rakhi declined a guest role.[6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) • [12](https://www.mediaeyenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Volume-13-Issue-9_Final-1.pdf) The film was produced under the banner Vishal International Production (listed as V.I.P. Films on Rotten Tomatoes).[1](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shor)
Sources disagree on the release date. Bollywood Hungama and Indian Film History list 1 January 1972,[13](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/shor/cast/) • [7](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/shor) while [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times), ZEE5, and the Bharatpedia entry give 15 September 1972.[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html) • [6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) Runtime listings also differ: 2h 50m on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes,[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234724/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shor) 2h 28m on ZEE5,[6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) and 2h 39m on Moviebuff.[10](https://assets.moviebuff.com/shor)
## Reception and legacy
A Hindi-language retrospective describes the film as a flop at the box office that is nonetheless regarded as a classic.[14](https://www.tv9hindi.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/birth-anniversary-special-manoj-kumar-best-movies-must-watch-like-pukar-purab-aur-pachhim-kranti-roti-kapda-aur-makaan-3403834.html/amp) It received the Filmfare Award for Best Editing at the 20th [Filmfare Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards).[6](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789) Hindustan Times, marking the film's 49th anniversary in 2021, wrote that it was critically acclaimed and is best remembered for two songs, "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai" and "Paani Re Paani," which it called among the most iconic in Indian cinema.[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html) The film was later remade in Tamil as *Osai*.[3](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html) Within Manoj Kumar's career, the film marked a departure from his usual nationalist melodramas such as *Upkaar* (1967) and *Purab Aur Paschim* (1970).[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/manoj-kumar-the-man-who-made-a-16000-foot-long-celluloid-flag-of-india-9925249/lite/)
## References
1. [Shor (1972), Tuli Research Centre for India Studies](https://www.tuliresearchcentre.org/shor-1972)
2. [Shor (1972), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234724/)
3. [Manoj Kumar remembers his film Shor as it completes 49 years, Hindustan Times (ANI), 15 September 2021](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/manoj-kumar-remembers-his-film-shor-as-it-completes-49-years-101631724032879.html)
4. [Shor, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shor)
5. [Shor (1972) Songs, Lyrics, Trailer, Movie Information, LyricsOff](https://www.lyricsoff.com/songs/shor-1972-songs)
6. [Watch Shor (1972) Full HD Hindi Movie Online on ZEE5](https://www.zee5.com/ml/movies/details/shor/0-0-shor?c=YT_Shor_HI_MOVIE&is_retargeting=true&pid=YT_HINDI_MOVIE_REDIRECTION&shortlink=cc91789)
7. [Shor Movie Trailer, Star Cast, Release Date, Box Office, Movie Review, Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/shor)
8. [Shor streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shor)
9. [A history of Hindi cinema: The 1970s, part one, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/history-of-hindi-cinema-1970s-part-one)
10. [Shor on Moviebuff.com](https://assets.moviebuff.com/shor)
11. [Manoj Kumar, the man who made a '16,000-foot-long celluloid flag of India', The Indian Express, 4 April 2025](https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/manoj-kumar-the-man-who-made-a-16000-foot-long-celluloid-flag-of-india-9925249/lite/)
12. [Media Eye News, Volume 13, Issue 9 (April 2025)](https://www.mediaeyenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Volume-13-Issue-9_Final-1.pdf)
13. [Shor Cast List, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/shor/cast/)
14. [Manoj Kumar's best movies, TV9 Hindi](https://www.tv9hindi.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/birth-anniversary-special-manoj-kumar-best-movies-must-watch-like-pukar-purab-aur-pachhim-kranti-roti-kapda-aur-makaan-3403834.html/amp)
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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