Raj Kapoor

Ranbir Raj Kapoor (14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as "The Show Man", was a noted Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of 2 National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards in India, and a two-time nominee for the Palme d'Or grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his films Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954). His performance in Awaara was ranked as one of the top ten greatest performances of all time by Time magazine. His films attracted worldwide audiences, particularly in Asia and Europe. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 for his contributions towards Indian cinema. He was called the Clark Gable of the Indian film industry.

Early life and background

Raj Kapoor was born in Dhakki Munawwar Shah near Qissa Khwani in Peshawar, (then) India (modern day North Pakistan) into a Hindu Punjabi family to Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi Kapoor. He was the eldest of six children in the family. He was the grandson of Dewan Basheshwarnath Kapoor and great-grandson of Dewan Keshavmal Kapoor, part of the famous Kapoor family. His brothers are actors Shashi Kapoor and the late Shammi Kapoor. He also had a sister named Urmila Sial. Two other siblings died in infancy. They later on moved from Peshawar into present-day India for residence and for education.

Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke

Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke ('Rainy season came dancing') is a 1969 film directed by Raghunath Jhalani. It became a box office hit. The film stars Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, Balraj Sahni, Nazima, Bindu, Aruna Irani, and Rajindernath. The music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal and the lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The songs were meaningful and also melodious.

Plot Summary

Wealthy Jaishankar meets and falls in love with Aarti, successfully woos her and agrees to meet with her dad to discuss their marriage. On the way there he ironically runs over him, killing him instantly. Guilt-ridden, he attempts to make amends to look after Aarti, her brother, Pappu, and sister, Mala, but conceals the fact that he was responsible for their father's death. Things get worse after Aarti not only discovers the truth, but also witnesses him getting intimate with a cabaret dancer, Rita. Then Jaishankar is first disowned by his father after the family find out that he had sired a son from Rita, and then subsequently arrested by the Police for killing Rita.

Mera Naam Joker

Mera Naam Joker (translation: My Name is Joker) is a 1970 Hindi drama film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor. Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is considered to be one of the lengthiest films of Indian cinema. After Sangam became a blockbuster, Mera Naam Joker was highly anticipated as it was six years in the making and was heavily publicized to be loosely based on Raj Kapoor's own life. Upon release the film turned out to be a critical and commercial disaster putting Kapoor into a financial crisis. The film was heavily panned for its length and plot. However, over the years, the film has gained a cult status and is regarded as a classic today. Both audience's and critics' response has turned highly favorable with the passage of time. An abridged version was released in the 1980s and had a highly successful run at the box office. Raj Kapoor termed this his favorite film and described it as having deep philosophical depth and meaning. The film is regarded as one of Kapoor's finest works today with film experts labeling it a 'misunderstood masterpiece'. The movie Bobby, which was released in the year 1973, was Rishi Kapoor's debut movie. Although it is widely believed that it the movie's purpose was to launch his son Rishi Kapoor's career, it's main purpose, as stated by Rishi Kapoor himself, was to clear the debts that Raj Kapoor had incurred due to Mera Naam Joker's unsuccessful run at the box-office.

Dharam Karam

Dharam Karam is a 1975 Hindi film produced by Raj Kapoor and directed by Randhir Kapoor, who also star as father and son in the film, respectively. The film also stars Rekha, Premnath and Dara Singh. The music is by R.D. Burman and the lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, who received a Filmfare nomination as Best Lyricist for the hit song "Ek Din Bik Jayega." The song is played several times during the film, with playback singing by Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, and Sushma Shrestha. Of the three of them, only Mukesh received a Filmfare nomination as Best Male Playback Singer for the song. According to one source, the film performed "below average" at the box office.

Plot