Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973), directed by Manmohan Desai and based on a story by Smt. Jeevanprabha Desai, was a romantic film that broke new ground in terms of its thematic content for the time. The film garnered attention for its bold portrayal of physical intimacy between its lead stars, Shashi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore, which was daring for its era. The 149-minute narrative centres around Preeti (Sharmila Tagore), a young medico fromBombay, who falls in love with Prem (Shashi Kapoor), a young amateur skater. During a trip to the hills, Preeti meets with an accident, loses consciousness, and to save her from hypothermia, Prem reluctantly becomes physically close to her, leading to their intimacy. As a result, Preeti becomes pregnant. Engaged to Dr. Amar (Shatrughan Sinha), Preeti is devastated, but under the pressure of her father's wishes, she ends up agreeing to get engaged to him. The film featured a memorable soundtrack composed by R.D. Burman, with lyrics penned by Sahir Ludhianvi. The songs, particularly "Tera Mujhse Hai Pehle Ka Nata Koi", performed by Poornima (then known as Sushma Shreshtha), earned the latter a Filmfare nomination for Best Female Playback Singer. The film's music remains iconic, with hits like "Vaada Karo" (an adaptation of Horace Silver's "Song for My Father") and "Tera Mujhse Hai Pehle Ka Nata Koi" (lifted from "The Yellow Rose of Texas"), still widely remembered. The film's popularity led to its remakes in several languages: Manchi Manushulu (Telugu), Uthaman (Tamil), and Ranande-ye-ejbari (Persian). The Sinhalese film Yali Hamuwennai (1980s), directed by Sena Samarasinghe, is considered a direct copy of Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Other films inspired by it include the 1977 Pakistani film Aina and the 1985 Hindi film Pyar Jhukta Nahin. Aa Gale Lag Jaa became a box-office hit, ranking as the 10th highest-grossing Hindi film of 1973. It has maintained an enduring cult status in Algeria, where it is known as Janitou, and its following persists even four decades after its release.