MV Raman who introduced Vyjayanthimala with the Tamil film Vazhkai (1949) remade the film in Hindi as Bahar (1951) introducing her to Hindi audiences. The film was also the great AVM studio’s first foray into the Hindi language and proved to be a hugely successful film at the box office.

However the film has not held up well at all and apart from the inane screenplay telling a terribly old fashioned story, much of the eye-popping theatrical acting appears quite corny and laughable today particularly a weepy Pandari Bai suffering her way through the film as a naïve village belle seduced by the city slicker villain, Pran and becoming an unwed mother. Karan Dewan, who had a reasonable career as a leading man including the super hit Rattan (1944) and other films like Lahore (1949) and Pardes (1950), lacks screen presence and makes for a weak hero.

Vyjayanthimala, in a totally undemanding role, was all of 15 when Bahar came out and what’s more looks it thus making her pairing with the 34 year old Dewan look all the more odd and in fact quite silly. She does bring the film to life with her dances though, something which was new then for the North Indian audiences. With Bahar, Ladki (1953) and later Nagin’s (1954) stupendous success,Vyjayanthimala became the first South Indian actress who made it as a national star and went on to one of the biggest ever Hindi Film female stars in a career lasting almost two decades. Besides her ability as an actress, which was considerable, her greatest legacy to Indian cinema perhaps is that it has become a must today for any aspiring actress in Indian Cinema to be an accomplished dancer.

Besides Vyjayanthimala’s dances, a major reason for the film’s success is SD Burman’s extremely catchy music. Along with Shabnam (1949), Bahar is one of those rare films where Burman uses Shamshad Begum as his main singer. Shamshad more than delivers with some of her most popular songs like Duniya ka Maza Le Lo, Qasoor Aapka, Chhodoji Chhodoji Chhodoji Kanhaiya Kalhai Humaar, O Pardesia and the icing on the cake – Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re, one of her all time best songs. Kishore Kumar has an early hit with the male version of Qasoor Aapka while Geeta Dutt makes a solid impact with her two weepy solos on Pandari Bai – Sataye Hue ko Satati Hai Duniya and Bhagwan Do Ghadi Zara Insaan Banke Dekh.