Strictly average and now badly dated fare by Mehboob Khan, the film combining lost and found childhood sweethearts caught up in a quadrangle was memorable and noted in its time chiefly for its casting coup of getting together 3 top singing stars of the day – Noor Jehan, then India’s numero uno female star, Surendra and Suraiya and proved to be a huge success at the box office. The film also sees Mehboob teaming up with music maestro Naushad for the first time, a partnership that was to go on right till Mehboob’s last film, the extremely lack-lustre follow up to Mother India (1957), Son of India (1962).  

Forget the creaky story, stagy dialogues and stilted acting of the 1940s and concentrate instead on the memorable music, which fortunately gives all the three stars enough scope to shine but even amongst them, it is primarily a Noor Jehan show above all. She has the maximum songs in the film and each of her songs is beautifully composed and proved to be extremely popular and these numbers are hummed and remembered till today. Noor Jehan, at her vocal best, glides skilfully through some of the best and most popular songs she has ever sung - the solos Mere Bachpan ke Saathi, Kya Mil Gaya Bhagwan, Aaja Meri Barbad Mohabbat ke Sahare, Jawaan Hai Mohabbat Haseen Hai Zamana as well as the sublime duet with Surendra – Awaaz De Kahan Hai. Suraiya lends her vocal impress with Socha Tha Kya Kya Ho Gaya, Man Leta Hai Angdai and Main Dil Mein Dard Basa Laayi while Surendra makes his presence felt with his solos Ab Kaun Hai Mera and Kyon Yaad Aa Rahen Hain Guzare Hue Zamaane. Mohammed Rafi chips in with the ambient Tera Khilona Toota Balak while Shamshad Begum and Zohra Ambala render Udan Khatole pe Ud Jaoon efficiently enough.  

Don’t know what Vashu Bhagnani saw in the old fashioned tale that he remade the film disastrously in 2002 as Jeena Sirf Merre Liye with Tusshar Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor and Mallika Sherawat easily giving the worst performances of their careers, not to mention the totally insipid musical score by Nadeem-Shravan.