This Bollywod film took 20 years to finish; its director and hero never saw it release

In the golden age of Indian cinema, one filmmaker dared to reimagine a timeless tale of love and paid the ultimate price for it. Love and God (1986), the final dream project of legendary director K Asif, is not only a film but also a story of devotion, unfinished ambition, and a love that refused to die, both on-screen and off it.

K Asif’s unfinished dream

K Asif, the visionary behind Mughal-e-Azam, began Love and God in the early 1960s. He envisioned it as a grand retelling of the Persian-Arabic legend of Laila and Majnu, two lovers whose passion defied every societal norm.

Originally cast with Nimmi and Guru Dutt, the film faced its first heartbreak when Dutt passed away mid-production. Years later, Sanjeev Kumar stepped in to play Majnu. But fate was cruel once again, as he too died before the film could be completed.

And in a final, tragic twist, K Asif himself passed away without ever finishing the film. Despite the losses, Asif’s widow salvaged the unfinished footage, editing it into a releasable form. In 1986, Love and God finally made it to the silver screen. 

Love and God: A story that transcends time

The story follows Qais (Majnu), a soulful poet who falls deeply for the beautiful Laila. But their pure love is rejected by society. Laila is married off, Qais is exiled, and what follows is a heartbreak that ends only in death, or perhaps, eternal union beyond it.

A remake for the modern era

In the late 2020s, a new generation of filmmakers set out to honour this forgotten classic.

With powerful performances, contemporary storytelling, and modern cinematic scale, the remake of Love and God reintroduced Laila-Majnu’s pain and passion to a new audience. But the soul of the original, its longing, tragedy, and beauty, remained untouched.