Aradhana, directed by Shakti Samanta, is a story of love, loss, and sacrifice. Starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore, the film revolves around Vandana, who falls in love with and marries an air force pilot, Arun. Tragedy strikes when Arun dies in a crash, leaving Vandana pregnant and unwed in a conservative society. Forced to give up her child, Vandana struggles to reunite with him while navigating societal obstacles. It is a pivotal film that marked the rise of Rajesh Khanna as the \"first superstar\" of Indian cinema. After two back-to-back flops, Khanna found immense success with this film, establishing his dominance in the industry. The movie also marks the beginning of a legendary collaboration between Khanna and Kishore Kumar, with Kumar becoming the iconic voice behind many of Khanna's songs, starting with Aradhana's memorable tracks like \"Roop Tera Mastana\" and \"Mere Sapno Ki Rani.\" Set against the backdrop of shifting Indian values, Aradhana explores themes like gender roles, illegitimacy, and the constraints of tradition. Released at a time when anti-Hindi imposition protests were taking place in Chennai, the film's remarkable success in the region, where it ran for 50 weeks, attests to its wide-reaching appeal. Aradhana deals with themes such as unwed motherhood, women's resilience, and the stigma surrounding single mothers. At the time of its release, the film coincided with the anti-Hindi imposition protests in Chennai, where a resistance to the central government's push for Hindi as a national language was strong. Despite this political unrest, Aradhana gained massive popularity in Chennai, running for around 50 weeks, highlighting art's ability to transcend linguistic and regional barriers.