Ahead of Ittfeaq’s release, here’s looking at what made the 1969 film a nail-biting suspense thriller

The 1969 film is about a painter, Dilip Roy (Rajesh Khanna) who is framed for the murder of his rich wife. With no way to prove his innocence, he is held by the police on the basis of circumstantial evidence. The inconclusive murder case is still under investigation when another murder takes place and somehow Dilip finds himself connected to two murder cases. The film focuses on solving these two murder cases. Did the same person kill both victims? Or are the cases completely unrelated? This is what forms the plot of the film.

Rajesh Khanna in a still from Ittefaq 1969. (Source: Express Archive)

The 1969 film is about 95 minutes long and the flow of the story is not disrupted by any songs. The plot introduces plausible suspects in the murder cases at appropriate points in the film that keeps you on the edge of your seat while constantly questioning the motive behind each suspect’s intentions. Apart from the obvious suspects, various other red-herrings are also introduced through the course of the film and with probable cause to doubt each one of those, the film keeps you guessing right until the end.

Rajesh Khanna and Nanda in a still from Ittefaq 1969. (Source: Express Archive)

Another outstanding aspect of the 48-year-old film is that it only gives out information that is absolutely necessary for the story to move forward. For example, a conversation between two characters might seem like regular banter in the beginning but even that has implications that are revealed later in the story. Every visual that is shown in the film has significance to the plot thereby retaining the audience’s investment in the film. The relationships between various characters is built strongly as the murder mystery brews in the background. In many ways, the 1969 film reminds one of the Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, but that holds true for many noir thrillers made in the 60s.

The multiple characters introduced in the film are all related to the murder mystery in some way or the other. Be it the police inspector investigating the case or the woman claiming that she saw one of the murders happen, each character has a pivotal role in the film. The film does not fool its audience by showing only one aspect of the case, in fact, it covers its bases for all the questions the audience might have.

Rajesh Khanna and Nanda in a still from Ittefaq 1969. (Source: Express Archive)

Along with Rajesh Khanna, the film also starred Nanda, Bindu, Iftekhar in significant roles and all the actors play their part to perfection. Ittefaq was one of the earlier films directed by Yash Chopra. The director who is now remembered for his epic love stories was quite a master at crafting intriguing tales and that just goes to show that he was a brilliant storyteller.

It will be quite interesting to watch how director Abhay Chopra has adapted the classic to make a thriller that has a captivating story. The 2017 adaptation of the film releases on November 3.