Aag

Hindi typography posters for sale: Aag (1967).

Featured here is an actual surviving original Bollywood poster of the 1967 action packed Hindi drama written, produced and directed by Naresh Kumar that starred Feroz Khan in the lead role opposite Mumtaz.

Released under the Dimple Films banner, Aag (1967) also starred Aruna Irani, Shyama, Achla Sachdev, Jeevan, Madan Puri, Ram Mohan, Mohan Choti, Manmohan and Tun Tun in supporting roles.

Set in a village, Aag (1967) told the story of a brave and upright man called Shankar (Feroz Khan) who lives with his mute sister Durgi (Aruna Irani) and his mother Shanti Devi (Achla Sachdev). Paro (Mumtaz) is a strong and independent woman who makes ends meet by sharpening knives as her father is blind. Shankar is drawn to Paro and the two fall in love with each other. When Shankar tires to arrange his sister’s wedding, the proposal is rejected on the grounds that she is mute. Chancing upon the opportunity to satisfy his lust, evil moneylender Lala (Jeevan) who is much older than Durgi, asks for her hand in marriage. Shankar is enraged after hearing Lala’s proposal and beats him up. Upon learning Durgi’s predicament, Shankar’s friend Gangu asks for her hand in marriage. Shanti travels to the next village to seek a loan from Chowdhury for her daughter’s wedding and mortgages her land and home for Rs. 500. However, before the wedding preparations begin, Durgi is raped and murdered in a field. Lala loses his scarf near the body while passing by the field. When Shankar discovers Durgi’s body and Lala’s scarf near it, he presumes Lala is the killer rapist responsible for his sister’s death. In a fit of rage, Shankar strangulates Lala to death. The police try to arrest Shankar but he flees into the woods. While in hiding, Shankar meets dreaded outlaw Daku Mangal Singh (Bipin Gupta) who has been shot by the police. Shankar carries the injured dacoit leader to his hideout and tells him his story. Daku Mangal Singh asks Shankar to forget about his past and start a new life as a dacoit in his gang. On the run from the police and with no option to return back to his village and home, Shankar starts a new life as an outlaw with a mission to protect the downtrodden.

Printed and circulated to cinemas during a subsequent release run of the film (somewhere in the 1970s), this vintage Bollywood movie poster was designed for publicity of the film but never ended up being used.

This Aag 1967 movie poster was originally designed in mixed media format using both hand painted as well as photographic collage techniques by a poster design studio in Bombay.

The lead couple Feroz Khan and Mumtaz are depicted in a striking over painted portrait at the center. Locked in a passionate embrace, the couple appears surrounded by flames. An overturned rifle is seen painted in silhouette on the right of this original Bollywood poster.

Typography used in this Feroz Khan poster is primarily in English, with it’s title translated to both Devanagari Hindi as well as Urdu on the top. The main English title of the film dominates the bottom half of the poster in a mountainous font, giving it a 3D appearance. Small overpainted images of two people carrying rifles and galloping on horses are seen flanking either side of the title.

The soundtrack album of Aag (1967) was composed by Usha Khanna.