It’s been more than three decades without Raj Kapoor, who defined Bollywood with a slew of iconic movies, including some of the most experimental and boldest movies ever made in mainstream cinema, from the 1940s to the end of his life in 1988.
On Raj Kapoor’s 98th birth anniversary, we pick five Bollywood classics where he played a trump a la Charles Chaplin, a wonderstruck thief, a homeless man, an ox-cart driver and a motley-clad clown.
Awaara (1951)
Produced, directed and starred by Raj Kapoor, this crime drama went on to become a massive success as the blend of social and reformist ideas in the movie captured the imagination of the newly independent country. It also features Prithviraj Kapoor, Nargis, Leela Chitnis and K. N. Singh. The music composed by Shankar-Jaikishan includes Mukesh’s evergreen Awaara Hoon song.
Kapoor plays Raj, a petty thief, who is forced into the world of crime by bad influence and extreme poverty. He is arrested for killing his criminal boss when the latter tries to attack his mother. However, he is further shocked to discover that the judge is none other than his estranged father (played by Prithviraj Kapoor). Awaara competed for the Palme d'Or grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Watch it on: Zee5
Shree 420 (1955)
After the massive success of Awaara, Kapoor embarked on his next project Shree 420. He helmed the film and played the lead character. The movie also stars Nargis, Nadira, Nemo, Lalita Pawar and Hari Shivdasani in key roles. Composed by the musical duo of Shankar-Jaikishan, the Mera Joota Hai Japani song from the movie in the dulcet voice of Mukesh took the nation by storm.
Kapoor plays Raj, a poor young man from Allahabad, who travels to Bombay to earn a living. He is befriended by a con man named Sonachand and is attracted by his luxurious lifestyle. However, Raj soon realises Sonachand's unscrupulous ways and decides to make amends. In this movie, Kapoor’s acting style is influenced by Charles Chaplin’s ‘little tramp’.
Watch it on: Jio Cinema
Jagte Raho (1956)
This 1956 bilingual film (Ek DIn Raatre in Bengali) was directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra. It stars Raj Kapoor, Chhabi Biswas, Pahari Sanyal, Nargis Dutt and Daisy Irani. Jagte Raho became one of the first Indian films which became a blockbuster overseas, especially in the Soviet Union.
In this film, Kapoor plays a homeless peasant from a village who finds himself lost in a city. He enters an apartment to drink water. However, the residents of the apartment mistake him for a thief and try to get him arrested. He tries to flee and hides in several flats and notices with wide-eyed wonder the dark side of humans hidden under a gentlemanly exterior.
Watch it on: YouTube
Teesri Kasam (1966)
Directed by Basu Bhattacharya, Teesri Kasam is based on the short story Mare Gaye Gulfam by the Hindi novelist Phanishwarnath Renu. It stars Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman in the lead roles.
The film revolves around a naive bullock cart driver Hiraman (Kapoor) who falls in love with nautanki dancer Hirabai (Rehman) and how they concede their realities after trying to overcome their situations. The film also deals with the issue of exploitation of women. It won the President's Medal for Best Film at the National award.
Watch it on: YouTube
Mera Naam Joker (1970)
Raj Kapoor produced, helmed and starred in his magnum opus Mera Naam Joker, which was loosely based on Kapoor’s own life as an entertainer. The film also stars Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Kseniya Ryabinkina, Padmini, Manoj Kumar and Dharmendra.
Kapoor plays a circus clown, Raju, who suffered several heartbreaks since his teenage years due to poverty. However, he tries to make the circus audience laugh every night at the cost of his sorrows. Mera Naam Joker failed to live up to expectations at the box office and was deemed a flop due to its high production cost. But it is considered a cult classic now and one of the most defining films of Raj Kapoor.
Watch it on: Zee5
