By the mid 1950s, Dilip Kumar was given psychiatric advice to play lighter roles as his ‘king of tragedy’ image in films like Mela (1948), Andaaz (1949), Babul (1950) Deedar (1951) and Devdas (1955) began to take a heavy emotional toll on him. Kohinoor directed by SU Sunny, is one such ‘light’ film.

In Kohinoor, Dilip Kumar actually seems to enjoy himself to the hilt in the admittedly enjoyable goings on of royal intrigue, playful romance and swashbuckling action. He shows razor sharp comic timing, be it wooing the heroine in disguise, doing a ‘Groucho Marx’ (the famous mirror scene from Ducksoup (1932)) or bashing up the baddies. Such was his impact that he deservedly won the Filmfare Award for this role ahead of his Prince Salim act in Mughal-e-Azam the same year. 

The film is also quite a change of image for Meena Kumari, also known like Dilip Kumar for her intense tragic roles. She responds with a refreshing, uninhibited performance as compared to the studied mannerisms and passive postures of many of her tragic roles. Jeevan makes a slimy enough commander-in-chief lusting after Kumari. 

Naushad’s music is memorable among others for the love duets Do Sitaron ka Zameen Par Hai Milan, Koi Pyaar ki Hai Dekhe Jaadoogari and of course that all time great Mohammed Rafi gem Madhuban mein Radhika Naache re for which Dilip Kumar learnt to play the sitar.