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

Historical Inaccuracy – 1

In this song Anarkali (Madhubala) is performing in front of  Mughal Emperor Akbar with the famous Sheesh Mahal shown (The Palace of Mirrors) in the background. However, it should be kept in mind that Sheesh Mahal didn’t even exist during Akbar’s reign (23 November 1542  – 27 October 1605). It was constructed under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1631-32.

Film :- Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Country:- India

Some Info on Sheesh Mahal:-

The Sheesh Mahal (The Palace of Mirrors) is located within the Shah Burj block in northern-western corner of Lahore Fort. It was constructed under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1631-32. The ornate white marble pavilion is inlaid with pietra dura and complex mirror-work of the finest quality. The hall was reserved for personal use by the imperial family and close aides. It is among the 21 monuments that were built by successive Mughal emperors inside Lahore Fort, and forms the jewel in the Fort’s crown. As part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex, it has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. (Source :- Wikipedia)

_________________________________________________________________

Historical Inaccuracy – 2

This film was based on the life of Mahmoud of Ghazni (November 2, 971 – April 30, 1030), and his servant Ayaz. However, in the clip above, Nayyar Sultana can be seen singing in front of Shalimar Gardens. Shalimar Gardens of Lahore didn’t came into existence until 1641 A.D. (during the reign of Shah Jehan), long after Mahmoud of Ghazni was dead!

Film:- Ayaz (1960), Country:- Pakistan

Some Info on Mahmoud of Ghazni :-

Mahmoud of Ghazni was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty and ruled from 997 until his death in 1030. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni (now in Afghanistan) into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which extended from Afghanistan into most of Iran as well as Pakistan and regions of North-West India. He was also the first ruler to carry the title Sultan (“authority”), signifying the extent of his power, though preserving the ideological link to the suzerainty of the Caliph. (Source :- Wikipedia)

Some Info on Shalimar Gardens of Lahore:-

The Shalimar Gardens, sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 A.D. (1051 A.H.) and was completed the following year. The project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan’s court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city. (Source :- Wikipedia)

-by Ummer Siddique

Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Prithviraj Kapoor

He was indubitably the most handsome hero of the pre-independence period. Imposingly tall and more regal than most kings, Prithviraj Kapoor straddled the world of films and theatre for 40 years. This dynast and his progeny Raj, Shammi and Shashi, each a major star, became justifiably celebrated as Bollywood’s first family.

The son of a police officer in Peshawar, Prithviraj learned early in life to be self-reliant. Defying strident family opposition, he became in their eyes, a kanjar (gypsy), when he travelled to Bombay to join films. Within days, this handsome Punjabi (the Prithviraj of the 30s looked incredibly similar to the Shashi Kapoor of the 70s) landed a silent film, Cinema Girl (’29), opposite Ermeline. But it proved to be a false dawn — the film flopped and Prithviraj, already the father of three children, was reduced to eking out an existence by doing minute roles. Living in the seedy locality of Foras Road, he enjoyed the doubtful distinction of being an extra in India’s first talkie, Alam Ara (’31).

A proud Kshatriya (the Hindu warrior class), Prithviraj fought his way up from inconsequential portrayals to strong supporting roles in the 30′s New Theatres (Calcutta) classics like President, Sapera and Dushman. With his Grecian features, impressive physique, and booming voice, Prithviraj’s most famous roles were those of kings. In Debaki Bose’s classic Vidyapati (’37), he played a king flummoxed by his queen’s fatal attraction towards the Vidyapati. In Sohrab Modi’s Sikander (’41), he was the all-conquering Greek king, Alexander, pitted against the verbal fireworks of the Indian royal, Puru. And in K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (’60), he gave a powerful performance as the Moghul emperor, Akbar, beleaguered by his son’s romantic transgressions. This kingly haul, especially Mughal-e-Azam, represented the acme of Prithviraj’s rich career.

But even this august talent found good roles in films coming his way only sporadically. In the early 50s, he switched to character roles after playing the patriarch in V Shantaram’s Dahej and son Raj Kapoor’s Awara. In 1944, he had launched a theatre company, Prithvi Theatres, and became its actor- manager and raison d’etre.

The showbiz warhorse, continued in films right uptil his death. The `Papaji’ of the Kapoor family is remembered by son Shashi as something of a seer (saint) whose benignacy touched all. Even when he lay on his death bed, he worried about completing his grandson Randhir Kapoor’s directorial debut, Kal Aaj Aur Kal. At his insistence, the sound equipment and crew were brought to his hospital bed from where he completed the dubbing.

`The show must go on’ philosophy of the die-hard thespian was commemorated by son Shashi who started Prithvi Theatre in Bombay in his father’s memory. A fitting tribute to the man who dedicated his life to the art of performance.