Haathi Mere Saathi

Haathi Mere Saathi (English: Elephant My Partner) is an Indian film and a favourite with children in the early 1970s. The movie has a Disneyesque appeal with an Indian twist. Haathi Mere Saathi was the biggest hit of 1971 going by box office collections eclipsing the Raj Khosla-made Mera Gaon Mera Desh and was critical acclaimed film. Rajesh Khanna was the biggest star of that period, and Haathi Mere Saathi ranks high among the biggest ever hits of his career. But the film ranks as a classic because it is still unequalled as the complete family fare in its genre for kid. The film at that point in time was the biggest hit ever made by a South producer in Hindi.

The story was written by producer Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar, who overviewed the film and played a small cameo in it. The story is a reprisal of MGR's successful film Vettaikkaaran. Directed and edited by his brother M.A.Thirumugham, it had screenplay by Salim-Javed, dialogues by Inder Raj Anand, music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The film was also the first collaboration of Salim-Javed, who were officially credited as screenplay writers.