Mehbooba

A singer by profession, Suraj gets stranded in resthouse in the coutnryside during a rainstorm. While there he experiences ununsual feelings, as if he has been there before. He feels himself transported to another time and era, to another birth, and drawn to a woman named Ratna. He is unable to leave this experience behind him, and decides to find out what this means. He discovers that in his past life he was a Chief Singer in the emperor's court, his name was Prakash and he had fallen in love with a courtesan named Ratna, much to the chargin and anger of his family and the emperor's and his officials. They are tragically separated. He subsequently comes across a portrait of Ratna, and shortly after he meets a gypsy, Jhumri who looks exactly like Ratna. Soon Jhumri is also able to recollect her past life, and her love for Prakash.

Directed by Shakti Samanta, Mehbooba leans on a strong ensemble — Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Prem Chopra — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1976.