Page 38 - Seniors Today December 2020
P. 38

Once Upon a Time | Films






























         The Fire That



         Forged RK






         Raj Kapoor’s debut production was an ode to passion and beauty, showcasing
         tropes that recurred in future films, writes Deepa Gahlot


         Aag (1948)                                         legendary repertory Prithvi Theatres. It was
         December 14 marks the birth anniversary of         a rumination on creativity, friendship, love,
         Raj Kapoor, one of India’s biggest stars and       passion and beauty, with a few tropes that
         filmmakers. Born in 1924 to Prithviraj and         recur in his future films. Right at the start, he
         Ramsarni Kapoor, he grew up surrounded             also displayed his understanding of music
         by theatre, cinema and art. Today, there is a      and flair for song picturisation.
         bitter debate over nepotism, but Raj Kapoor
         did not get stardom handed to him on a
         platter; he had to work his way up the studio
         floor. At the age of 24, he decided that just
         acting in the movies of other directors was
         not altogether satisfying, so he set up his
         RK Films banner, produced, directed and
         starred in Aag (1948).
          The partly autobiographical film (scripted
         by Inder Raj Anand) was tragic and grim,
         set in the world of theatre, that he was
         familiar with, since his father ran the            A still from Aag


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