BOMBAY TIMES (June 27, 2012)

 

Violent films and jarring melodies ruled the marquee through most of the eighties. The light-hearted family entertainer had all but taken a back seat. It was at such a time that Nasir Husain Films’ Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) or QSQTas it came to be known popularly, hit the screens like a much-needed whiff of fresh air.

Written by veteran filmmaker Nasir Hussain and directed by his son Mansoor Khan, QSQT starred Hussain’s nephew Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla as the lead pair for the very first time.

A love story inspired by Romeo and Juliet, the film set cash registers ringing and catapulted Aamir and Juhi into the limelight, overnight almost. What’s more, it won ten Filmfare Awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress among others, not to mention the National Award for the ‘Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment’.

In a welcome departure from the disco tracks of the eighties, QSQT once again brought melodious tunes to centre-stage with songs like Akele hain to kya gam hai and Gazab ka hai din remembered till date. Not surprisingly, the film was also the first major hit for music composer duo Anand-Milind and singers Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik.

This picture captured by ace lensman Jagdish Aurangabadkar at the music launch of QSQT makes for a pretty portrait of the film’s winning team. QSQT may have just been what the doctor ordered in Hindi cinema’s dark hour but it also proved to be a genre-defining film of sorts. With More >