Drama evolved thousands of years ago across various civilizations and took its own distinctive forms to suit the local culture and custom. Whatever be the form, or the stage of evolution of mankind and technology advancements, the core purpose of drama or circus or motion pictures or puppeteers or narrators or minstrels or singers or dancers, was not just enlightenment and entertainment. It was also about information and introspection, illusion and imagination, belief and disbelief, dishing out an immersive experience outside of our dreary existence and transporting us to a world of imagination wonderment.
In the growing up days of the 1960s and 1970s and early 1980s predominated by the absence of indoor visual medium, the black and white television of boredom and the dreary DD channels of ennui and yawn, a weekly family visit to the theatres was a must to see the latest movies, starring the best ( a cast of actors and characters mirroring our lives, environs and emotions ) of the tinsel world assaulting our senses and imagination with dialogues, drama, dresses, homilies, songs, dances, vistas, fights and tears, which stayed with us for years to come. Not just the acting, but the memorable songs full of melody, mirth, melancholia and meaning, penned by some of the best writers, lyricists, music directors and playback singers, together breathing life into our imagined or imitated lives. More often than not, the songs were known to make or break the film at the box office. Quite literally, the cinema and songs were a pastiche of sort of our own lives. Not surprisingly, it would be wellnigh impossible to say where art reflects life, where life reflects art and where they segue. As the long-passed actor and singer Dean Martin belted out, ‘memories are made of this’.
Coincidentally, as the Bollywood and afficionados celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of the inimitable Raj Kapoor ( a part of the famous triumvirate along with Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar, who ruled the filmdom roost and regaled the audience ), one cannot but help recalling his memorable films and songs, as relevant today as in the past, making for repeat viewership that no contemporary content or cinema or song can ever match, even after 36 years of his passing and 63 years of living a life of extraordinary creativity, production and direction of outstanding movies.
Just to name the few he directed – Aag, Barsaat, Awara, Shree 420, Sangam, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram, Prem Rog and Ram Teri Ganga Maili and some of the near 75 films that he acted in – Andaz, Anari, Teesri Kasam, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hain, Jaagte Raho, Chori Chori, Dil Hi Toh Hain, Kal Aaj Aur Kal, Dharam Karam. He also carried the epithets of The Showman and Charlie Chaplin of India and had a huge fan following in Russia too, where he is revered even now. When asked about the reasons for his popularity in Russia, then a tyrannical communist regime, often it was attributed to his optimism, hope, cheerfulness, romance, social commentary, compassion, distinction between the good and the bad and all other messaging that he conveyed through his films and songs. Apparently, his song from Awara, “awara hoon” was played at the at official Russian banquets and he was permitted a visa-free travel to Russia. Perhaps apocryphal, but it does explain the phenomenon that he was in that country and of course, in our own Bharatmata.
Raj Kapoor was a famed and a delectable persona, known as much for his affairs and dalliances as for his Holi celebrations at RK Studios in Chembur, a lineage of talented children and grandchildren, nephews and nieces, most of whom have made their marks in the industry and keep the Kapoor family flag high and fluttering. It’s a travesty of destiny that the imprimatur of a RK Studio has been recently sold to a real estate developer with a potential to erase the memories of the landmark, the showman and the famed logo of two lovers. We can only hope that the developers (the well-known Godrej group) will carve out some space to house a permanent museum in memory of Raj Kapoor and the rich legacy he bequeathed to the entertainment world and to us.
Image Courtsey: constructionweekonline.in
Let’s look a look at some randomly selected ten songs from a few of his films – vocals and melodies of poignancy and philosophy, that strike at our root and heart with resonating life lessons. The credit for these hummable and remarkable songs goes as much to the mellifluous Mukesh, who was the play back singer for Raj Kapoor in most of the films.
1. Mera Naam Joker -– “Jeena yahan, marna yahan, iske siva jaana kahan; ji chahe jab humko awaaz do, hum hain wahin, hum thhe jahan; kal khel mein hum ho naa ho, gardish mein tare rahenge sada”.
It so well captures the existential reality of living out our life in this world from birth to death, with no other place to go and being available to those whom we love whenever beckoned. The poignancy of our impermanence and dispensability and the world moving on regardless of us is so well brought out.
2. Shree 420 – “Mera joota hain japani, yeh patloon englishstani, sar pe lal topi rusi, phir bhi dil hain Hindustani”.
The entire song is about the exuberance of a simpleton having a refreshing and realistic view of life.
3. Awara – “Ghar aaya mera pardesi, pyas bhuji mere ankhiyan ki; tu mere mann ka moti hain, inn nainan ki jyoti hain, ab dil todke mat jaana, rote chhodke mat jaana”.
Finding the love of your life is a natural serendipity and once having found your true love, never leave behind broken hearts and tears.
4. Teesri Kasam – “Sajan re jhoot mat bolo, khuda ke paas jaana hain, na haathi hain na ghoda hain, wahan paidal he jaana hain”.
A memorable number that is a metaphor for living a life of honesty and truth; finally, all of us are answerable and will be journeying to God without any wealth or belongings.
5. Dharam Karam – “Ek din bik jayega maati ke mol, jag mein reh jayenge pyare tere bol”.
We all will eventually merge with the earth, what will remain is only our loving words. Live life with love, empathy and sympathy.
6. Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hain – ‘Hothon pe sachaai rehati hain, jahan dil me safai rehati hain, hum us desh ke waasi hain, jish desh mein ganga behati hain; mehman jo humara hota hain, woh jaan se payara hota hain, jyada ki nahi lalach humko, thode me guzara hota hain”.
It’s an inspirational and reformative song aimed at bandits ( in the film ) to inculcate in them a pride in our country through which the revered Ganga river flows, where people speak the truth and have clean hearts, where our guests are loved more than our own lives and we manage with less and are not greedy. An evergreen number which never fails to inspire and awaken us.
7. Bobby – “Na chahun sona chandi, na chahun heera moti, yeh mere kis kaam ke; na mangun bangla baadi, na mangun ghoda gaadi, yeh toh hain bas naam ke; deti hain dil de badle mein dil ke, ghe re ghe re sahiba, pyaar mein sauda nahin”.
The song is a reminder to all of us about the disutility of possession of riches like gold , silver, bungalows and horse carriages and their ephemerality and emptiness in matters of love.
8. Sangam – “Dost dost na raha, pyaar pyaar na raha, zindagi humein tera aitbaar na raha, aitabaar na raha; amaanatein main pyaar ki, gayaa toh jisko saup kar; woh mere dost tum hi thhe, tum hi toh thhe”.
Mistrust in friendship and love can have disastrous consequences in life.
9. Anari – “Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisar, kisi ka dard mil sake toh le udhar, kisi ke vaaste ho tere dil mein pyaar, jeena issi ka naam hain”.
This is a beautiful song to bring about the idealism of life and living being all about sacrificing oneself for someone’s happiness, taking over someone’s pain and having a heart full of love.
10. Jaagte Raho – “Zindagi khwab hain, khwab mein jooth kya, aur bhala sachh hain kya; dil ne humse jo kaha, humne waisa hi kiya, phir kabhi fursat se sochenge bura tha kya bhala”.
The song is beautifully depicted on a drunk philosophising about life being an illusion or maya where there is no lie or truth, do what your heart tells you, think later if it was bad or good.
Any birth centenary is a fleeting moment of reminiscences and remembrances, but this Showman par excellence will continue to live in our hearts forever, weaving his magic of love, hope and optimism. We are all actors in our lives, but Raj was the ultimate dramatis personae.
