The famous dream sequence from Awaara (1951)

Awaara was the film that established Raj Kapoor as a major international film star; it also became one of the most popular Hindi films overseas (mainly in Asia and the former USSR) and was remade in many other national cinemas. It was also the first film Raj Kapoor made in his own studios and with his own team, from his stars (himself and Nargis) to his musicians (Shankar—Jaikishan) and singers (Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh).

The wife (Leela Chitnis) of Judge Raghunath (Prithviraj Kapoor) is kidnapped by the evil Jagga. When the judge takes her back, he finds that she is pregnant, but does not believe the child is his. She brings up Raju (Raj Kapoor) in poverty and he falls into Jagga’s company. When he falls in love with the lawyer, Rita (Nargis), Judge Raghunath’s ward, the judge tries to forbid their relationship, convinced that the son of a thief will be a thief too. Rita defends Raju in court where all will be revealed …

This was the first film in which Raj Kapoor appeared as the Chaplinesque tramp. Unlike the usual Indian vagrant, Raj Kapoor is dressed as an American tramp, whose clothes Charlie Chaplin drew on in those famous oversized suits that appear to belong to someone else, thus undermining the suit’s respectability and recalling, perhaps, the circus clown. In Raj Kapoor’s case, the suit was too small, suggesting perhaps that he had outgrown what used to fit him. The western or colonial nature of the suit may also suggest an outfit discarded by a member of the ruling elite, and comically appropriated by a vagrant. Kapoor’s tribute to Chaplin would not have been missed by many in the audience, for Chaplin’s films had always found success in India. Raj Kapoor fans may be delighted to know that R. K. Studios have carefully preserved this outfit, shoes and hat, in their wardrobe department in Bombay.

This film is also memorable for its presentation of Raj Kapoor and Nargis as the great romantic couple, passionately bound to one another. Nargis is presented as the idealized object of male fantasies, whether in a swimsuit on the beach or as a divine, celestial saviour in the dream sequence. The great Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj’s real-life father, plays his on­screen father, often in moments of Oedipal drama. For despite the film’s reference to mythology, notably in the rejection of the pregnant mother, recalling Ram’s banishment of Sita in the Ramayana, this is a resolutely modern film, arguing that nurture, rather than nature, creates a person’s moral character, inserting Raj Kapoor’s quasi-Nehruvian or socialist views.

While almost every song in the film has become a classic — ‘Awaara hoon’, ‘Dum bhar jo udhar mooh phere’ — it is the nine-minute dream sequence that affords one of the most memorable set designs in Hindi cinema. The scene is not only stunning visually and aurally, but it also condenses into a dream many fears and anxieties about the film’s key themes of love, religion, women, motherhood, punishment and crime, which it then projects onto Achrekar’s sets themselves. The first shots show a spiral staircase surrounded by clouds, presumably in heaven. Dancers appear among statues of loops and swirls, singing and sliding down chutes. Rita stands at the top of a flight of stairs, dressed in fine fabric, sequins and shiny hair ornaments, dusted with glitter, singing a love song (‘Tere bina aag yeh chaandni’). Raj, dressed in a black T-shirt and trousers, then appears in hell, where he sings of his desires for love and spring (‘Yeh nahin, yeh nahin zindagi’) as he is surrounded by flames, dancing skeletons and other monsters. In the last sequence, he emerges through clouds to the sound of ‘Om namah Shivaya/Homage to Lord Shiva’ at the bottom of a flight of stairs leading to a Trimurti (a composite image of Brahma—Shiva—Vishnu), when Nargis bends down to take him by the hand and lead him to heaven.

Dressed in an embroidered bodice and skirt, she sings ‘Ghar aaya mera pardesi’ in front of a statue (of Devi, the goddess?) with flashing lights in the background. She begins to climb the spiral staircase and Raj follows her. They then climb more stairs towards a Nataraja (dancing Shiva) as Nargis appears in dancing clothes. As they begin to walk along a twisting road, a giant Jagga appears, holding a shining knife. Raj falls down yelling ‘Rita’ as she reaches over him but cannot save him. A montage of images, including one of Raj yelling as Rita appears superimposed, dissolves as Raj wakes up, shouting, ‘Maa, mujhe bachao/Mother, save me!’ – Rachel Dwyer

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1941, Genre – Drama, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – R.K. Films, Director – Raj Kapoor, Music Director – Shankar Jaikishan, Cast - Cuckoo, Om Prakash, K. N. Singh, Leela Chitnis, Raj Kapoor, Leela Misra, Honey O’brein, B. M. Vyas, Shashi Raj, Nargis, Prithviraj Kapoor

Dilip Kumar in Filmistan's Shabnam (1949) - has a "Yo! Ho! Ho! and a bottle of Rum" look

This latest Filmistan picture running to crowded houses at Roxy for many weeks now is a picture which does credit to S. Mukerji the producer, who gave us in the past pictures like Kangan, Bandhan, Naya Sansar etc. There are no less than ten songs, several dance numbers in which the selection of artistes has been made very discreetly with a certain eye on the box office. The result is a picture to which sex starved thirsty humanity will throng. Though the picture has fine settings, beautiful costumes, good comedy, pleasing photography, excellent sound recording, yet an idealist or utilitarian reviewer cannot help feeling that all this skill and equipment would have been harnessed much better, social and patriotic purpose by Filmistan Ltd.

The picture lacks a well-connected story. Indeed it is all disjointed and unbelievable episodes come one after another on an astonishing scale. One cannot get away from the idea that those responsible for the production happened to see Chandralekha and having been impressed by its phenomenal success could not get over the temptation of imitating some scenes or ideas therefrom or at least taking inspiration from there. The flashback technique has been effectively used, yet all things considered Shabnam can be rated as fine entertainment but disappointing pictorial story.

Kamini Kaushal has been at her best in this picture, particularly before interval. Light hearted acting, grace of body and features, and understanding, easily place her above everybody. After his performance in Andaz Dilip Kumar has raised certain expectations but it must be said that he does not fulfill them in Shabnam. Mubarak and Jeevan are as satisfactory as ever. Paro and Cuckoo who are responsible for the dance numbers and do very good work indeed and even there, the palm must go to Paro who excels Cuckoo in spite of the latter’s better looks and presentability. We, however want to emphasize that Filmistan Ltd. must employ their resources capacity and superior talents to much more important social and patriotic purpose as entertaining the masses cannot alone be sufficient function for men like Messrs. Chuni Lall and Shashadhar Mukerji (The Motion Picture Magazine, September 1949)

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1949, Genre – Musical/Costume, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Filmistan,  Director – B. Mitrai, Music Director –S. D. Burman, Cast - Paro, Mubarak, Cuckoo, Haroon, Kamini Kaushal, Dilip Kumar, Jeevan, Rajendra Singh, Shyama

This is the only SOLO song sung by Shamshad Begum for Shanker-Jaikishan. Shanker Jaikishan used Shamshad’s voice only 3 times during their long careers. The reason for using her voice sparingly in their compositions is provided by Shamshad and her daughter Usha below…

“Shamshad Begum remembers the time she came in contact with Raj Kapoor. “He was unknown then. In fact, he introduced himself as Prithviraj Kapoor’s son. Raj was making a film and he wanted me to sing for it. I was very busy then. But out of respect for Prithviraj Kapoor, I agreed. I used to come home in the afternoon to rest. I told Raj to come to my house with his harmonium and tabla players — Shankar of Shankar Jaikishen fame and Ram Ganguly, the music director. I squeezed in the practice session during my rest time and went to the studio only for the recording.”

The film was the hugely successful and not to mention, the music was a super hit. In keeping with Shamshad Begum’s fate, Raj Kapoor also never looked back. “But gracious that he was, once after many years when he met us at my mother’s concert, he publicly said that it was she who made his life. He also said, ‘But I couldn’t do anything for her.’ He later privately admitted that it was not him who didn’t want her to sing but Jaikishen who was anti Shamshad Begum,” says Usha.”

This song is picturized on Cuckoo who was the numero uno dancer at that time (late 40s to mid 50s). Like the Helen-Asha combination later on, in many of these songs, Cuckoo’s screen `voice’ was Shamshad Begum. Together, they were responsible for some unforgettable hits including Mere ghoonghar wale baal (Pardes), Dar na mohabbat karle (Andaz), Piya piya piya piya hum aur tum (Naujawan) etc

Trivia: The record version of this song had an extra line “Sambhal kai khidki khol balamwa dekhey mera baap re” which was later censored out of the film version by Censor Board.