Manmohan Desai’s Dharam-Veer contained a liberal mix of cinema genres. Disguises, battles, pirate attacks, jungles, a beautiful princess, separated twins and a hawk that helped during their hours of crisis. All this made the Dharmendra-Jeetendra starrer an amazing potpourri, not devoid of panache.

Rajshri films’ Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye eulogised the traditional family, the emotional attachments it gave rise to and whose loss we are lamenting even today. The film was not so much about wooing the man (Prem Kishan) as winning the heart of his dadaji, Madan Puri. Rameshwari Talluri, dusky and demure, became an overnight star, thanks to the endearing ‘Dulhan...’ role. With this the Barjatyas started the trend of simple family films.

Amrit Nahata’s Kissa Kursi Ka was a political satire in which an unscrupulous politician — Utpal Dutt — delivered flowery but castigating rhetoric, usually addressing an emasculated, dumb and mute character — representing the docile and suave janta during the days of Emergency. The film created neither political smoke nor fire.

Parmod Chakraverty’s Dream Girl in which the beauteous Hema Malini played the ‘dream girl’ and ‘he-man’ Dharmendra playing her ‘dream boy’, made Hema-Dharmendra a much- adored cinema couple, next only to Nargis-Raj Kapoor.

J. Om Parkash’s Apnapan and Gulzar’s Kinara highlighted the toils, turmoils, tribulations and predicaments of the women protagonists. The films were a huge box office success and triggered a veritable cinematographic explosion of women-oriented films in Bollywood.

Shyam Benegal’s Anugrahan showed Benegal’s interest in the politics of religious exploitation. The film had a morality tale linking religious illusions with personal frustration of a Brahamin Parshuram (Anant Nag) who received a boon from a sage, Konduraswamy (Amrish Puri). He became known as a holy man. Ultimately, he realised that his asceticism was an act of naivete.