Raj Kapoor @100: Iconic Films That Cemented the Legacy of Indian Cinema’s Showman

Raj Kapoor @100: Raj Kapoor, the man who revolutionized Indian cinema by his screen presence, performances, and burning passion for storytelling, would have turned 100 this year.

He's revered as the "greatest showman" of Indian cinema, but his presence would never also meet with anyone else's.

Raj kapoor, born in Peshawar, has grown and risen to become one of the most celebrated and remembered cinematic names in Bollywood, and such is his legacy that every filmmaker and actor in any part of the world draws inspiration from him.

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The centenary of this great man calls for a fresh visit to some of his great films that established him as an immortal star in the history of Indian cinema.

1.Awaara (1951)

To this effect, the film "Awaara" is one of the most defining films of Raj Kapoor. It tells the story of a man who fights against his circumstances, as all his movies do, directed by Kapoor himself. It contains the evergreen music of Shankar Jaikishan with the immortal 'Awaara Hoon,' truly a classic. There was nothing more spectacular than the performance of this conflicted character in Raj between good and bad, which finished screening from one corner of the earth to the next, tying audiences' hearts, including those in the Soviet Union, where the film became the phenomenon.

2. Shree 420 (1955)

In 'Shree 420', Raj Kapoor acted once again as a common man, but this time he played a character which was a victim of corruption but at the end redeems himself. The film is famous for the iconic "Mera Joota Hai Japani," a song which became an anthem in its own right to the whole generations. The movie very well encapsulated the spirit of post-independence India with Raj Kapoor, who brought the innocent yet ambitious character whose navigation through life's complexities laid him to be a hero of the masses.

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3. Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960)

In 'Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai', Raj Kapoor played the stately and comic part, infusing into it his unique combination of laughter and tears. The film tells the tale of a man who befriends a corrupt village and brings justice and humanity to it. With its larger-than-life storytelling and Kapoor effortless charm, this film became one of his life-long classics featuring his "showman" avatar, that entertained while also trying to bring in social messages.

4. Mera Naam Joker (1970)

Mera Naam Joker is one of the most ambitious, most personal productions of Raj Kapoor. It was directed by Kapoor and chronicles the life of a circus clown, whose life is very emotional yet is always there to make others laugh, which is a metaphor of the actor's life. Though initially, it was not successful in terms of box office collections, the strong storytelling and soul-full music along with the performance of Raj Kapoor has made it an evergreen movie. Now, that movie is looked up to as a cult favorite because of its in-depth reading of an artist's soul.

5. Teesri Kasam (1966)

Teesri Kasam is a comedy-romantic drama, directed by Basu Bhattacharya and produced by the noted lyricsist Shailendra. Based on the short story Mare Gaye Gulfam by Phanishwarnath Renu, a Hindi writer, this movie has Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman in lead roles and was musically scored by the great Shankar-Jaikishan.

Apart from acting and direction, Raj Kapoor's contribution extended to that of modern architecture in Bollywood. He is counted among the visionaries in whose footsteps the new age followed blending an entertainment agenda with social consciousness.

Moreover, he pioneered the opening of the international market for Indian films because Awaara and Boot Polish were also shown at prestigious international festivals.

Raj Kapoor, not simply a filmmaker, was an institution, one who became a father figure to many as well as a passionate visionary of Indian cinema.

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