Prem Pujari marked the end of Dev Anand and Madan Puri's friendship. Madan Puri was offered the film Nanha Farishta,but a few days were clashing with Prem Pujari. Madan requested and pleaded with Dev to just release him for 5 days so he could sign Nanha Farishta and shoot for the film. Dev Anand yelled at Madan Puri and refused to oblige him. Madan Puri ended up losing Nanha Farishta and this caused his friendship with Dev to end.
During the making of Jewel Thief, Dev Anand wrote the script of Prem Pujari on location, through binocular Dev saw the China border, one Chinese soldier had a a small puppy dog playing and going around, Dev at that moment decided that small dog must be in the part of the film, and the small dog was in Prem Pujari in important part which send the story ahead. Dev Anand gave a young Amrish Puri, a chance, a newcomer in those days he played a small role, this was one his first film. Then Dev Anand wanted Amrish Puri in Swami Dada but he wanted a big price, when Dev took him very early stage of his career, After 30 years Amrish Puri worked with Dev Anand again in Censor.
The song 'Rangela Re.....Dev Anand had said, is Lata Mangeshkar's best song and Waheeda Rehman' best dance and the song and the dance was picturised very actively and very well.
When Dev Anand was shooting in Nepal, he saw a group of hippies, one of them was a tall girl smoking carelessly, here Dev decided his next film will be based on that girl and her name will be Jashwin and he start to work on Hare Rama Hare Krishna before the release of Prem Pujari.
It is Dev Anand's directorial debut. The movie has Shatrughna Sinha in a trivial role as an enemy soldier.