On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of one of the greatest icons of Indian cinema, R.K. Films, Film Heritage Foundation, NFDC-National Film Archive of India in association with PVR-Inox and Cinepolis are proud to present “Raj Kapoor 100 – Celebrating the Centenary of the Greatest Showman” – a retrospective on an unprecedented scale of ten films of the legendary producer, director and actor in 40 cities and 135 cinemas across India from December 13 – 19, 2024. The films will be screened in every corner of the country from Kerala to Assam, Odisha to Punjab.
The grand launch of the festival will take place on December 13, 2024 in Mumbai in the presence of the entire RK family.
RAJ KAPOOR – THE GREATEST SHOWMAN OF INDIAN CINEMA
Referred to as the “Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema” Raj Kapoor (1924 – 1988), born Srishti Nath Kapoor, was a producer, actor and filmmaker who left an indelible imprint on the pages of the history of Indian cinema. Born to actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Kapoor, he later took the name Ranbir Raj Kapoor and first appeared on screen as a child actor in ‘Inquilab’ (1935). Later he assisted Kidar Sharma at Bombay Talkies and also worked as an art director at his father’s Prithvi Theatre before starring as Narad in ‘Valmiki’ (1946). It is with ‘Neel Kamal’ (1947) that Kapoor’s acting career took off.
In 1948, Raj Kapoor founded the storied studio R.K. Films which became synonymous with cinematic excellence, producing timeless classics that transcended borders and earned international acclaim. Making his directorial debut with ‘Aag’ (1948), Kapoor’s versatility as an actor found expression in varied roles and he went on to star in and/or direct some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of his time, including ‘Barsaat’ (1949), ‘Awaara’ (1951), ‘Boot Polish’ (1954), ‘Shree 420’ (1955), ‘Jagte Raho’ (1956), ‘Sangam’ (1964) which was shot in locations as varied as London, Paris, Venice and Switzerland, ‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970), ‘Bobby’ (1973), ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ (1978), ‘Prem Rog’ (1982) and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ (1985).
The emotional intensity of ‘Aag’, its technical daring and sensitivity, announced the arrival of an unusual talent and storyteller in Indian cinema. It was also the beginning of the most famous and enduring screen association of Raj Kapoor and Nargis which not only defined an era of romance but also yielded many cinematic gems including indisputably one of Hindi cinema’s greatest love songs ‘Pyaar Hua Iqraar Hua’.
Class issues were articulated in K. A. Abbas’ scripts for Raj Kapoor’s productions in the 1950s. Raj Kapoor’s films, notably ‘Awaara’, garnered unprecedented success in the former Soviet Union. To commemorate 100 years of world cinema in 1990, the then Soviet Union honoured Raj Kapoor alongside eminent global film personalities like Ingrid Bergman, Jean Gabin, Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe. In post-World War II, post-Partition India, when the entire socio-political system was under strain and thousands of migrants were pouring into the cities, millions identified with Raj Kapoor’s dispossessed heroes. The tramp of ‘Awaara’ reappeared in ‘Shree 420’, but with a difference and was rediscovered as a circus clown in ‘Mera Naam Joker’. The vision that Kapoor staged and sang was recognizably Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s India, featuring an urbanizing, modernizing milieu and the rural-urban and the class divide, the challenges of the common man and the moral ambivalence of a changing society.
Raj Kapoor’s acting roles were not confined to his own productions. One of the biggest roles of his career was in Mehboob Khan’s Andaz (1949), which also featured Nargis and Kumar. Andaz broke box office records and made superstars of both Kapoor and Kumar. Other notable films starring Kapoor but not produced by him include Anari (1959), Chhalia (1960), and Teesri Kasam (1960).
Raj Kapoor received the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1988. Shree 420 won a National Film Award in 1955. Awaara and Boot Polish competed for the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953 and 1955, respectively. Jagte Raho won the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1957. Kapoor also won 11 Filmfare Awards in various categories.
On May 2, 1988, during a ceremony at which he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Kapoor suffered an acute asthma attack and collapsed. He died one month later.
Amitabh Bachchan:
Raj Kapoor was truly India’s greatest showman. I am so glad that Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with RK Films and the Raj Kapoor family is celebrating his birth centenary on a grand scale by screening ten of his milestone films in multiple cities across the country. Film Heritage Foundation’s commitment to preserving, restoring and showcasing our film heritage has ensured that great artists like Raj Kapoor will stay in our memories forever. His life was a celebration and I am sure he would have been delighted to see his films back on the big screen.
Raj Kapoor was an artist who lived for cinema. Even today Awara is a film that is etched in my mind. Made at a time of newly independent India, the film was socialistic, reflecting the mood of the times. Talking about Rajji’s incredible showmanship, the way he envisioned the dream sequence in the film had never been seen before. You are amazed by his fantastical imagination that visualized the surreal setting, the ethereal Nargisji emerging through thick clouds of smoke, Rajji surrounded by demonic figures and burning fires – there is a powerful, mystical symbolism in the dream sequence, and that is my favourite.
Ranbir Kapoor:
“We are incredibly proud to be members of the Raj Kapoor family. Our generation is standing on the shoulders of a giant whose every film spoke of the time that it was made and was the voice of the common man over decades. His stories are timeless and this festival is our way of reliving that magic and inviting everyone to experience his legacy on the big screen. See you at the movies!”
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur:
It is an honour for Film Heritage Foundation to join hands with RK Films, the Raj Kapoor family, the NFDC-National Film Archive of India and PVR-Inox and Cinepolis to present “Raj Kapoor 100 – Celebrating a Century of the Great Showman” in a manner befitting an icon of Indian cinema and his towering status through the biggest retrospective yet that will celebrate hundred years of his legacy across the country. Contemporary audiences in 80 cities will have an opportunity to watch ten landmark Raj Kapoor films that put Indian cinema on the world map spanning almost four decades including films like “Aag”, “Barsaat”, “Awaara” and my favourite “Shree 420.” These were films that not only captured the imagination of the people but reflected prevalent social and political themes beginning from a newly independent India. Raj Kapoor had an all-consuming passion for cinema. His unforgettable avatar as a tramp that embodied the common man and till has last film he remained a great showman.
THE FILM SCREENINGS
The festival will showcase his remarkable body of work through films spanning almost four decades that have been beloved by both Indian and international audiences including:
- Aag, 1948, Raj Kapoor, 130 mins, Black & White, Hindi – Raj Kapoor’s debut films as a director and producer under the R.K. Films banner. His first film co-starring with Nargis, their incredibly chemistry made them one of the most iconic onscreen duos of that era.
- Barsaat, 1949, Raj Kapoor, 160 mins, Black & White, Hindi – the first hit film directed by Raj Kapoor that helped to establish R.K. Films as a major studio.
- Awara, 1951, Raj Kapoor, 167 mins, Black & White, Hindi – has been counted amongst the greatest films of all time with the song “Awara hoon” still being sung around the world. The film created a sensation at the box office not just in India but around the world and marked the debut of Raj Kapoor’s tramp character inspired by Charlie Chaplin.
- Shree 420, 1955, Raj Kapoor, 168 mins, Black & White, Hindi – Raj Kapoor reprised his tramp character once again in this film that went on to become the highest grossing film of 1955. Its songs are beloved even today especially “Mera joota hai japaani” that became a popular patriotic symbol of newly independent India.
- Jagte Raho, 1956, Sombhu Mitra, 149 mins, Black & White, Hindi – a shortened version of the film won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czechoslovakia in 1957. Written by K.A. Abbas and starring Raj Kapoor as a villager looking for water in the city, the film highlighted the stark rich-poor divide between the simple common man and the hypocrisy and moral poverty of the urban affluent society.
- Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, 1960, Radhu Karmakar, 167 mins, Black & White, Hindi – a multiple award-winning film with a terrific soundtrack in which Raj Kapoor plays a rustic who swears by the cleansing power of the River Ganga and sets out to reform a band of dacoits against the backdrop of a love story.
- Sangam, 1964, Raj Kapoor, 190 mins, Colour, Hindi – the first colour film directed by Raj Kapoor with sumptuous cinematography shot in locations abroad, the film is a magnum opus love triangle that featured outstanding performances from Raj Kapoor, Vyjayanthimala and Rajendra Kumar.
- Mera Naam Joker, 1970, Raj Kapoor, 180 mins, Colour, Hindi – a cult classic starring Raj Kapoor as Raju, a clown who makes people laugh despite the hardships and heartbreaks in his life.
- Bobby, 1973, Raj Kapoor, 169 mins, Colour, Hindi – directed by Raj Kapoor, the film marked the debut of Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, in this blockbuster that introduced the idea of teenage romance.
- Ram Teri Ganga Maili, 1985, Raj Kapoor, 178 mins, Colour, Hindi – the last film directed by Raj Kapoor starring Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor was a box office hit that is remembered also for the famous scene of Mandakini bathing under a waterfall.
For ticket booking kindly visit: PVR Cinemas, Cinépolis India and BookMyShow.
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