India, June 27 -- Sixty years ago, a beautiful film was released in theatres, and failed spectacularly at the box office.

The producer, now drowning in debt, died a few months later. The marvellous lyricist Shailendra backed only this one film in his lifetime, and did not live to see it win a President's medal, or the many accolades that followed. He died not knowing it would become a landmark in Hindi cinema.

Teesri Kasam was based on a short story written in 1954 by the legendary Phanishwar Nath Renu, from Purnea district in Bihar. He was known as the master of "aanchalik" or "regional" literature. In this tale, he told the heartrending story of Hiraman, an upright bullock-cart driver, and Hira Bai, a ravishing nautanki dancer.

There...