Raj Kapoor: The Showman of Indian Cinema

The Kapoors, one of the iconic families of India contributed immensely in creating cinema as the main vehicle of cultural instrument that in turn constituted the national identity of an emergent country. Trajectory of Indian Independence, prolong nation building process, emergence of a distinctive cultural production of a nation, all are somehow embedded in the prolong journey of the illustrated family of India. Vision of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru found its fruition in the cultural hegemony established by the Kapoor family over the years. The newly constructed nation with its profound vivaciousness created its distinctive cultural identity through its cinematic expression. And Raj Kapoor’s films are an integral part of this unique subjective manifestation of the country. He, following his father’s legacy added to the filmic journey of the iconic RK Studios as well as generously contributed to the newly emergent cultural landscape of a nation. Between the traditional values and demand of modernity, Raj Kapoor began his decade long journey both as a prolific filmmaker as well as an incredible artist. His genre is commercial-popular, that instilled the prescribed value system of a nascent nation among its populace.

His films are situated on the historical juncture when city came into forefront as the sole representative of the social dynamics of a modern nation. Mostly he as a protagonist of his films played that typical village urchin who is compelled to migrate to the diabolical city with his pure innocence. City startled him, puzzled him, yet city is the only inevitability in his life. Also the binary of corrupt elites and virtuous poor subalterns defined his concept of understanding the city.

Nehruvian socialism influenced his narrative, ensuring social justice seems to be the main agenda of the village bumpkin. In Awara, he plays the famous tramp a la Charlie Chaplin, In Shree 420, he is the trickster, in Boot Polish, and he played a poor man. But the profound sense of truthfulness dominated all his narratives, injecting a normative value system quintessential for a nation.

What Raj Kapoor did for Indian cinema, is, to put Indian popular cinema in the global map. Almost at the same time, Satyajit Ray with his Pather Panchali(Song of the Road) already won the best humanitarian award in the Cannes Film Festival, whereas Kapoor’s Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954) competed for the Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1951 and 1955's editions respectively.

Decades ago, India used his cinema as a soft power to influence the global spectrum. Kapoor was extremely popular in Russia, in parts of Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Africa. In all of his films, from black and white era to the films like Bobby that captivated the entire new generation always carry some social messages. Be it the interfaith romance in Bobby (1973) or burning issues like widow remarriage in Prem Rog (1982) spiritual love in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Kapoor and his films always adhered to progressive thoughts. Another cardinal point in his films are the melodious songs that elevated the aesthetics of the said narratives. The songs from Aag to Ram Teri Ganga Maili, were blockbusters in Indian subcontinent and also in abroad.

Merā jūtā hai Jāpānī, ye patlūn Iṅglistānī

Sar pē lāl ṭōpī Rūsī, phir bhī dil hai Hindustānī

My shoes are Japanese, these trousers are English;

The red cap on my head is Russian, but still my heart is Indian.

This song, especially, was widely embraced in its time as a representation of the newly sovereign nation of India. As India was gaining its status as a sovereign democratic republic, this song depicted the casting off of the colonialist yoke and the recognition of the internationalist aim of uniting to make India and the world a better place.

Most of his earlier films were penned by one of the eminent IPTA cultural icons, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. Tryst with Abbas further provoked his communitarian ideas that coax him pick up stories like Jagte Raho,(Stay Alert,1956) another cult classic in his oeuvre is a 1956 Hindi/Bengali film, directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, written by Abbas, Music by Salil Chowdhury and produced and acted by Raj Kapoor. The film won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czechoslovakia in 1957. Jagte Raho, a cinematic gem from 1956, is a profound social commentary wrapped in the guise of a gripping drama. The presence of the IPTA movement in the film was thoroughly palpable.

“We should note a strongly didactic element in Abbas's writing, again quite common in traditional dramaturgy, and here yoked to progressive causes. His own efforts as director to use film to urge caste, religious, and regional amity, such as in Chaar Dil Chaar Rahen and Saat Hindustani were less successful than when these imperatives were combined with directors more attuned to the entertainment conventions of the popular Hindi cinema. This is especially apparent in Abbas's work with Raj Kapoor.”(Ravi Vasudevan).

Mera Naam Joker (My Name is Joker, 1970), a failed masterpiece, directed by Raj Kapoor has been widely appreciated posthumously. With biographical contents within the narrative, it’s a story of a tramp and his pensive journey through life. “Jeena yahan marna yahan iske siva jana kaha"--lyrics of the theme song for the film, "Mera Naam Joker” is a hauntingly beautiful song that reverberates tirelessly through the years and beyond. This remains Raj Kapoor's most memorable performance as the 'The great Clown in a not so graceful world,' shined through and through.

His portrayal of female figures in his films is often presented through a deeply sensual and symbolic lens, frequently invoking themes of what he calls "sacred nudity" (muqaddas uriyan in Urdu), a concept he linked to his oedipal complex by showcasing ethereal female imagery in his films, as he recounts:

“I was extremely precocious. And I was a worshipper of nudity. I think it all started because of my intimacy with my mother who was young, beautiful, and had the sharp features of a Pathan woman. We often bathed together, and seeing her in the nude must have left a deep erotic impression on my mind. There is an excellent Urdu phrase, muqaddas uriyan (sacred nudity), which describes this perfectly. In my films, bathing scenes recur often. Women in general occupy most of my early memories, and they appear in my films like ghosts that refuse to be buried.”(1)

He literally constituted the post-independence heroes and heroines who were conformists and rebels at the same time. Their presence instilled certain values in the society, much needed at that hour. His exuberant youthfulness defined free India. The naïve love stories between his main protagonists seek to bring a kind of optimism and familial bondage that repairs the ruptured society that sprang up from the colonial yoke. The melodious music in his films keeps enchanting film buffs across decades. His family still makes a considerable contribution to the filmic fabric of the nation. He remains, to date, the greatest showman of Indian cinema.

References:

1. Nanda, Ritu (1991). Raj Kapoor: His Life and His Films. R.K. Films & Studios. p. 12.