“The Great Showman” of Indian Cinema made a dashing return to the silver screen with R.K. Films, Film Heritage Foundation and the National Film Archive of India (NDFC-NFAI) presenting 'Raj Kapoor 100' to celebrate the actor's birth centenary across 40 cities in the country, from December 13 to 15.
Ten films of the Kapoor stalwart are screened as part of the retrospective at PVR-Inox and Cinepolis theatres.
Raj Kapoor (born Shrishti Nath Kapoor) was a multihyphenate—actor- director-producer—and considered as one of the greatest and most-prominent filmmakers and actors of the country.
Fondly referred to as the “Charlie Chaplin of Indian Cinema”, Kapoor earned three National Film awards and 11 Filmfare awards in the course of his illustrious career. The actor’s performance in Awaara (1951)—one of the films that will be screened at the festival—earned him a place among the “Top-Ten Greatest Performances of All Time in World Cinema” by TIME magazine in 2005.
The actor ventured into film-making, founding his own banner R.K. Films and making his directorial debut with the 1948 musical drama Aag. What followed were glorious years for Raj Kapoor including the huge success of Andaz and the blockbuster Barsaat (1949), which also became the highest grosser at the time of its release.
The event features Raj Kapoor’s most celebrated works, stretching across nearly four decades. The films include Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Jagte Raho (1956), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973), and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).
Kareena Kapoor Khan, following the Kapoor family’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also took to Instagram and wrote, “As we celebrate 100 glorious years of Dadaji’s artistry, vision, and contribution to Indian cinema, we honour the timeless impact of his legacy, which continues to inspire us and generations to come.”
The event not only commemorates Kapoor’s legacy but also the growth of Indian cinema, to which he contributed so arduously.