Pyaar ka Saagar (Ocean of Love), 1961
Set of 3 showcards, c. 1961, 55cm x 44.5cm
Tinted gelatin silver print and poster paint on textured board with hand-lettering.
Pyaar Ka Sagar is a dramatic love story, often referred to as Hindi Cinema’s Gone With The Wind. The film features two of Bollywood’s biggest names of the era. Rajendra Kumar, who earned the name ‘Jubilee Kumar’ for his unrivaled box office success in the 1960s plays opposite Meena Kumari, winner of 4 Best Actress Awards.
"The film's title “Ocean of Love,” is a metaphor for the feelings between the main characters rather than a reference to place, as is clear from the locations depicted in the showcards. In Cat. no. 11, an abstract architectural background conveys an interior space where the central characters are caught in a moment of conflict. In Cat. no. 12, the figures are placed in a forest setting; it is almost entirely painted and could serve as the cover of a romance novel. In this way, location serves a symbolic function, with the forest reinforcing love and freedom, while the built environment is associated with conflict and duty.
The film Pyaar Ka Saagar (1961) was produced by Raj Goel, Film Ray Productions and Goel Cine Corporation, and directed by Devendra
Goel. Music by Ravi, Black and White, Hindi, starring Rajendra Kumar, Meena Kumari and Madan Puri."
--Text by Dr. Deepali Dewan and Alexandra McCarter, based on Deepali Dewan, ed. Bollywood Cinema Showcards: Indian Film Art from the 1950s to the 1980s. Showcards from The Hartwick Collection. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum Press, 2011. Copyright of and reproduced here with the generous permission of the Royal Ontario Museum.
Literature
Deepali Dewan, ed. Bollywood Cinema Showcards: Indian Film Art from the 1950s to the 1980s. Showcards from The Hartwick Collection. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum Press, 2011, p. 67, Cat. no. 12.