Raj Kapoor

Exactly 20 years ago on June 2^nd a legend left for his heavenly abode.He may have lived only till 64 but left behind the impact of an emperor like Julius Caesar or Alexandra. It was difficult to describe the loss the entire world felt .

                   Raj Ranbir Kapoor. Was born Raj Kapoor made the greatest contribution to the Indian film Industry by becoming the pioneer in bringing the Indian film Industry to the masses.For the first time the man on the street could relate to films.He was the first person to put the Indian Film Industry on the map of the world.
                     He was born,the oldest son of the legendary actor Prithviraj Kapoor.He gave up studies at the time of his matriculation year and was throw out of the house by the father.However he rebelled and made a debut in the film Aag,which reflected his own life story .His first major hits were Aah and Barsaat where he acted and directed,where he gave subtle performnaces revealing his prowess in playing romatic leads or emotional roles.However he became the darling of the masses after ’Awaara’,(1951)perhaps technically the greatest film he ever made.He introduced the Charlie Chaplinesque acting form for the first time in Indian Cinema enacting a tramp  who is thrown out of his family as a child and has to go through all the hardships-reflecting the social reality of that time.In the end the irony of the story is that his own father convicts him after Raaj takes revenge on the person responsible for breaking his family.The scenes when he laughs in jail eating aroti and when he identifies himself with his dog are 2 of the most touching scenes .Raj brillianly depicts his talent I scene-shifting.Anger,joy,jealousy,frustration and almost every facet of the life of a human being I sportrayedin he film..Here the Raj-Nargis duo began.It was one of the garestet pairs in the history of Bollwood with [perfect chemistry.Comrade Mao Tse Tung of China called it the garetset film he ever saw which reflected the role of environment on an individual.Shri 420,(made i 1954)Again starring with Nargis)was made on the same lines when a tramp comes from a village to Bombay to seek out a living.The corrupting influnces of the economic and social order ae beautifully reflected.The movie reflects the injustices of capitalism blending sadness with humour.In asubtle way Raj showed hisi Socialist Inclinations in ’Awaara’ and ’Shri 420".Yeh hamare naye samaj ka dosh hai, jo chor ham, jebkatre hain, public ki aankh mein dhool jhokte ham, meri tarah achche kapde pehante hain, wo chor nahin, aur jo mehnat-mazdoori kartne hain, won. chor hain" (This is a defect in our new social set-up which hails thieves, pickpockets, well-dressed conmen as respectable people and looks down on the hard-working people as thieves), he exhorts and then draws parallels between his own dismal lot and a street dog's destiny. "Kitni ajeeb bat hai, tu bhi awara, main bhi awara, tu bhi badnam, main bhi badnam, tu bhi beghar, mera bhi koi nahin, tu bhi meri tarah pyar ka bhhokha. Fark sirf itna hai ki tu janwar hai aur main insaan. Insaan, huh!" (How strange. You are a vagrant. I am also one. You are of ill-repute, I, too am. You are homeless, I, too, have no home. You are also hungry for love, like me. The only difference between us is that you are an animal and I am human. Human, huh!). Obviously, in Raju's view, there is hardly any difference. For the poor who throng the pavements are as marginalised as the street pariahsHe championed the cause of a poor man in ’Jagte Raho’ where he gave his best acting performance and in Jis Desh Men Ganga Baheti Hai championed the Gandhian cause with artistic mastery.He also beautifully portrayed his character in ’Anaadi’ co-starring with Nutan ,in his typically Charlie Chaplinesque Manner.In this film a superb chemistry was portrayed between Nutan and Raj.He gave asubtle performance as a military pilot  in Sangam(1964) where 2 men(Raj Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar) are in love with the same woman and one sacrifices his life in the end.
        Howevever the film which threw the greatest light on Raj Kapoor’s career was ’Mera Naam Joker’.91970)This film was a semi- autobiographical film of Raaj Kapoor.No Indian film to me has had such philisophical depth.The story of a Joker  who makes the World laugh but secretly brushes that tear from his eyes evoked my heart more than any film ever.It reflected the life of Charlie Chaplin.(Made the World laugh but was sad from within)The scenes when he expresses his love to his women holding the Joker with the background music are amongst the most touching scenes ever witnessed.The sensitivity is reflected in the Joker’s eyes.He beautifully depicts emotions of humour sadness,hope,frustration and anger. The songs of the film brilliantly expound it’s philosophy.

Unfortuntely the film failed in the box office as the masses could not understand it.THe Movie was also repetitive,with the symbol of the Joker repeated over and over again which brought drudgery. Originally this film contained 6 parts It was later cut to 3.It was tragic that it failed in the box office.However it was a great hit in the Soviet Union..The first part of the film was brilliantly directed but in the later 2 parts the symbol of the Joker is repeated over and over again, leading to monotony. I can’t forget the scenes when he singsJaane Kaha Gaye vo Din No,when he holds his heart  in the circus in is last performance looking at all hi sex-  lovers in the eye(with the theme music ) and when he talks to his lover ,the Russian Circus girl Marina after his mother’s death in the Circus.In he last scene he  simply cries smiling. His lover girl Marina tells him that every Joker is a philosopher .He then takes of his glasses, smiling with  tears in his eyes –another symbolic reflection. Other  touching scenes are when  he show’s his circus lover Marina the Joker in the room of his chawl  in front of his mother  ,when he gazes the top of he circus tent remembering his father(alos a Joker ,just before the number ‘Ai Bhai Zara DEkh Ke Chalo is rehearsed. Infact that song was so symbolic of the them eof the film.) and when Manoj Kumar presents in a Joker at his wedding with the teacher who Raj  is in love with as a student.(Even the scene when  his teacher leaves in a train for the holidays is equally touching having asimilar tone )In the last 2 parts the film had a tendency to drag ,particularly in the episode with Padmini,who is  street entertainer before getting entry into films,through Raj’s support .However it is the last episode when a most touching dialogue takes place between Raj Kapor and Rajendra Kumar.Here again the symbol and the philosophy of the Joker is expounded when he Raj tell sKumar SAheb ‘Tum Ek Masur Film star Ho magar Ek J oker Ka Hasseen Ko Naheen SAmajsakhte Ho.(You may be a great film star but you do understand the smile of a Joker)Infact that part somewhat reflected Raj’s career whre he fell in love with many stars who he virtually gave birth to in he Industry,who eventually left him andf found their own path. Infact many  viewers feel that Raj wrote the story of his life in the film.Hari Shivdasni called iot Raj’s graetset film which reflected a graet deal of Indian philosophy.To me it is the graetset film he ever made.Scenes from Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Circus’ were adapted I he 2^nd part.This film was virtually a part of my life in my late teens and touched the bottom of my heart. No film has touched me to such an extent.

           To recover his lost money Raaj produced Bobby a major hit where he introduced Rishi Kapoor.THe film was a masterly romantic direction,reflecting the Indian social culture and the class nature of sociey.Later Raj produced Satyam Shivam Sundaram,another hit  and Raam Ter Ganga Meli where he showed his prowess in projecting sensuality in Women.People are critical of his promoting pornographic scenes but he gave sex an artistic form.Raj Kapoor was masre in projecting eroticism.
After prrolonged illness he died in 1988 at a young age of 64.In his interviews before Raj reflected thge changing times and how children were now far aware of the world.
 Where would Raj rank as an actor and adirector?TRue Raj basically performed a Charlie Chaplinesque figure but remember he alo played romantic roles in SAngam,Barsaat Etc,as well as serious roles in Jagte Raho and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Baheti Hai.He and imitated Charlie Chalin like a genius to the Indian conditions.His main weakness was that he over projected and enacted melodrama unlike Guru Dutt.His films also were not as versatile as Bimal Roy,Hrishikesh Mukherjee or Guru Dutt,perhaps reflecting  a limited range of themes .However to combine humour and pathos together(particularly in storise reflecting social reality) few directors could equal Raj’s prowess..(From a very sad moment you could immediately go into axvery happy one)Raj could express a huge range of emotions ,with equal ease.He expressed graet sensitivity I acting and his eues often virtually conveyed the story.People  also criticize Raj,for over exploiting women through pornographi scenes butxRaj justified it till the end saying it did justice to a woman.
Raj  had a fantastic musical sense and although he deployed Shankar and Jaikishan the music was basically his owm selection.(Always conducted the orchestra and decided the music)To me the theme music of Mera Naam Joker is the best I have ever heard-like the theme of Lara in Dr.Zhivago.He used Mukesh i almost all his lead songs.,who became his life-long friend.
        Most charming and good-looking he was a very sensitive man in real life who fell in love with almost every actress he acted with.His love affair with Nargis is one of the most bonded affairs ever between Bollywood Stars.Over and above he stood up for all he believed in .When she married Sunil Dutt and left him it took him a long time to get over it..He also had a strong sense of humour.In the views of his friend Hari Shivdasani Raj cared little for the world’s opinion about him   and felt above it. The most traumatic parts of his life were when his lover Nargis left him and it took Raj a long time to overcome it.Raj  was very unhappy seeing Nargis being cast in any other film(Mother India) besides his own.Raj feel in love with many of is heroines.Another remarkable fact about Raj was that the musical themes in his films were virtually his own compostions.He would literally sit with his orchestra ,like a conductor.His musical sense must have been outstanding .Raj was a philosoher ,in his own right.Raj,was also an avid cricket lover.

.No Indian Star has ever been so popular in  Russia were they sang his songs on bicycles.Raj Kapoor is a legend who will live in the hearts of people forever.It is sad that we do not see his wax statue in I Madame Tussauds musem. Remember it was Raj who put the Indian Bollywood industry on he map of the world. It was fitting that the man on the streets in Russia would sing his songs and when they saw an India would say’You come from Raj Kapoor country.’ Randhir Kapoor said after his father’s death “Raj Kapoor is an institution.”. His brothers and more importantly his sons and grand children performed successfully leaving the great actor’s legacy behind It is significant that to this day his progenies are carrying his torch forward.

By Harsh Thakor