Harano Sur (transl. The Lost Tune) is a 1957 Indian Bengali-language romantic drama film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar, with music by Hemanta Mukherjee, and sung by Geeta Dutt. This is the first film that Uttam had produced along with Ajoy Kar. The film is regarded as one of the finest examples[1] of Bengali cinema of this early period.[2] The film is based on the 1942 American film Random Harvest.[3][4] The film became the highest grossing Bengali film of 1957.
An amnesiac after a train accident, Alok Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar) is rescued on escaping from the asylum where he is admitted by Doctor Roma Banerjee (Suchitra Sen) who takes him to her father's (Pahadi Sanyal) country house in a village called Palaspur. There, while treating him she falls for him and he for her. They marry but a second accident makes him recall his life as a rich businessman in Calcutta and forget the memories spent with Roma. Roma follows him to Calcutta and meets him there, but he doesn't recognise her. He hires her as governess to his niece instead. Roma keeps trying to simulate Alok's memory but is looked at suspiciously by Lata, Alok's fiancée in Calcutta who thinks Roma is snatching Alok away from her and who complains to Alok's mother. The latter has Roma kicked out. Alok realizing she is from Palaspur and that is where he got back his memory goes there and regains his memory of times spent with Roma there.[5]
Hemanta Mukherjee composed the music of the film. All the lyrics were penned by Gauriprasanna Mazumder.
Harano Sur was the first film produced by Uttam Kumar along with Ajoy Kar. Uttam decided to keep Bengali cinema to national level, so he came into film production under their banner Alochaya Production Pvt Ltd. The film was based on 1942 Oscar nominated film Random Harvest which itself based on the novel of same name written by James Hilton.
It was released in India on 6 September 1957 under the banner of Alochaya Production and distributed by Chayabani Private Limited.[6]
The Times Of India wrote The legendary Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar – that’s what this movie is all about. It’s simply their charisma, their chemistry, their presence which will captivate you throughout.[7]
The film became highest grossing Bengali film in 1957.[8]
Random Harvest had already been adapted before in Tamil in 1956 as Amara Deepam and starred Sivaji Ganeshan and Savitri, which was later remade in Hindi as Amar Deep starring Dev Anand and Vyjainthimala.[9]