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IntroductoryRemarksfortheRajKapoorRetrospectiveSamirDayal,AssociateProfessorofEnglishandMediaStudiesatBentleyUniversity

RajKapoor(19241988)wasoneoftheleadinglightsofHindicinemaduringitsGoldenAgefromabout1940throughthe1960s. Hewas

born

in

what

became

Pakistan

after

Indian

Independence

and

Partition

in

1947.

He

won

many

awards,

including

nine

Filmfare

awards,

two

nominationsforthePalmeDOrattheCannesFilmFestival,andoneofIndiashighesthonors,thePadmaBhushan.Hewashonoredwiththe

DadasahebPhalkeAwardforcontributionstoIndianCinema. SolegendarywashisstatureattheendofhiscareerthattheWikipediaentryon

Kapooreventodaytellsataleaprocryphalandmelodramatic enoughtomakeaHindifilmdirectorblush:thatWikipediaentrysuggeststhat

KapoordiedattheverymomentthatthePhalkeawardwasbeingconferredonhimbythePresident!

Kapoorwasnoisolatedgenius. HecamefromandoccupiedanimportantplaceinthefirstfamilyofIndiancinema,andinthe

worldslargestfilmindustry. HisfatherwastheeminentPrithvirajKapoor;hissiblingsShashiKapoorandShammiKapoorweremajorfilmstars;

hischildren,RishiKapoorandRandhirKapoor,andgrandchildrenKarishmaKapoorandKareenaKapoorhavebeensignificantpresencesonthe

silverscreen.Certainlyhebecameaniconinhisownright. ButbeforethathewasamemberoftheactivistIndianPeoplesTheatreAssociation

(IPTA),formedin1942,fiveyearsbeforeIndependence. Theatricalinstinctsanddeepideologicalconvictionsdevelopedinhiscollaboration

withtheIPTAwouldinformallhisworkinthecinema. Althoughhebeganinthemoviesasahumbleclapperboy,Kapoorbecamethe

paradigmaticauteur. Amajordirectorandheadofhisownstudio(RKFilms),andamegastar,heenjoyedconsiderableartisticfreedom. He

oversaweverydetailoftheprocessoffilmmaking,includingmusic,forwhichhehadanaturalabilityandtalent. Thistalentremainsunusual

evenamongdirectorsofIndianfilms,withafewexceptionssuchasthegreatSatyajitRay.

NotonlydidKapoorhelpdefineIndiancinemasgenericrules,buthealsotestedtheirlimitsinwaysfewdirectorscouldgetaway

with. InBarsaat(Rain,1949),forexample,therearetwopairedshotsofdifferentwomensensuallycaressingtheirloversfeet,butinboth

casesthegesturessignifyincomplexwaystheyareneithermerelyeroticnorsimplysubmissive. InotherfilmsKapoorwasevenmore

provocative,presentingfemaleactorsinveryrevealingcostume,andinonecasenude.Buttheeroticismwasnevergratuitous.Hisfilmswere

innovativeanddaring,situatedatthecrossroadsbetweenpopularandparallelcinema.Histechnicalachievementsinstaging,music,

picturizationandhisinterrogationsofreceivedsocialmores,eveninanearlyfilmsuchasAwaara(Vagabond,1951)remaincinematic

touchstones.WhenhevisitedtheSovietUnionin1954forthereleaseofAwaarathere,KapoorwaslionizedasTavarishBradyaga,orComrade

Vagabond.His

films

were

popular

in

other

parts

of

the

world

too,

including

the

Middle

East,

Africa

and

China;

Boris

Yeltsin

as

well

as

Mao

Tse

DongwerereputedtohavebeenabletohummelodiesfromKapoorsfilms.

Oneofthebenefitsofthisretrospectiveisthatitcanallowustoseecontinuitiesaswellasdevelopments,obsessionsbutalso

contradictionsinthedirectorsbodyofwork. Bywayofanintroduction,then,Idliketodrawyourattentiontoafewoftheseremarkable

continuities. OnecouldbeginwithAag(Fire,1948),KapoorsdirectorialdebutfromtheveryfirstyearafterIndianIndependence. The

metaphorofaagasdesiresfirereappearsinBarsaat.Aagalsointroducedthepersonaoftheunderdogclownortrampthatwouldburgeoninto

perhapsKapoorscentralmotif,nottomentiontheactualtermawaara,whichwouldbecomethetitleandpivotalthemeofthefilmAwaara

threeyearslater.

Inadditiontosuchthematicvectors,continuityisalsothreadedthroughKapoorsfilmsmoresubtly. Forinstance,asongfrom

Awaarareappears28yearslaterasamelodyplayedbytheweddingbandatRupasweddinginSatyam,ShivamSundaram(1979),creatinga

musicallinkbetweenfilmswithrelatedclustersofthemes. InMeraNaamJoker(CallMeJoker,1970),oneofthewomenwholovesthe

protagonistRajuremindshimofanoldsong,againfromAwaara. ButinthisfilmKapooralsogoesastepfurther:inextraordinaryfantasy

sequences,heinterpolatesactualsnippetsfromhisownearlierfilms,particularlyShree420(Mister420,1955),thusconjuringavisual

intertextualitywithMeraNaamJoker. Yetthisintertextualityisnotjustadventitious. AlthoughpresentedinMeraNaamJokerthrough

fantasyinterludes,thesesonganddancesequencescommentonthediegesis,supplementingorembellishingit.

Indeed,inallKapoorsfilms,thefantasysequencestakenindividuallyareunitsofconsiderableinterest,somequitebrilliant.

ParticularlyimpressivearethetitlesongsequencesAwaaraHooninAwaaraandMeraJootaHaiJapani,thefamousdittyfromShree420.

Music,then,andthefantasysequencesmoregenerally,areimportantconnectivethreadsinKapoorsoeuvre.Tracingthesethreadsisnotjust

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acinephiliacobsession.Itconnectscommunitiesofordinaryfans,manyofwhomavidlyconsumepopularHindifilmsandsongsasmoveable

feastsandrelatedpassions. Itisalsoapleasurethatwecanparticipatein,duringthisretrospective.

OftenthesongsequencesareconsumedasindependentsegmentsassongsandvideoclipsbyHindifilmfans,andaswithmost

popularfilmsoundtracks,thesongsareplayedindividuallyontheairordistributedlegallyandillegally.Thecreditforthemusicalanddance

elements,however,mustgolesstothedirectorandmoretosingers,lyricists,setdesignersandchoreographers,includingLataMangeshkar,

Mukesh,AshaBhonsle,MannaDey,HasratJaipuri,theRussianMadameSimkieandespeciallyShankarJaikishen.

ButtheartinKapoorsartificeshouldnotbegivenshortshrift. Amonghismostunwaveringcommitmentswastocraft,totheartofcinema.

Andthesecommitmentsarealsofilamentsofcontinuitythroughouthiscareer. Kapoorsartdirectioncanbeastonishinglyinventive. Oneof

themostremarkableexamplesoccursinSatyam,Shivam,Sundaram,forwhichhecreatedanentirewaterfallcompletewithrocksandpoolon

hisownestateinLoni. Thereisalsoatremendousfloodinthefilm,oneofthemostbelievableinIndiancinemainpartbecausetherewasa

realanddevastatingdelugethatalmostsubmergedtheset. Undeterred,Kapoorinsistedonincorporatingthefloodintothemiseenscne,

capitalizingonwhattodaysjournalistsmighthavecalledaperfectstormofevents.

Kapoorsfilmsoftenpromotethesocialvalueofart.InAag,paintingandthetheaterareformsofartattheverycoreofthefilm,

whichKapoorwantsustoseeasaworkofartaboutart.Barsaat,similarly,foregroundsthepowerofmusic. TheprotagonistPranplaysa

melodyonhisviolinthatirresistiblydrawsReshmatohim,attheriskofscandal,fromherverytraditionalfathershomeacrossthelake;this

popularmelodyisalsowhatreunitestheloversafteraforcedseparation. Thoughlighting,costume,andspecialeffectsareimportantin

Kapoorsdirectorial

repertoire,

music

as

aform

of

art

enjoys

pride

of

place,

with

not

just

anarratological

function

but

also

an

auratic

status.

IfKapoorcanbecalledanartisticauteur,heisequallyadidacticdirector. Hiscinemaisacinemaofideas. Kapoorsearlyblackand

whiteworkconstitutesanhommagetotheItalianneorealistdirectorVittoriodeSica,andrecallsOrsonWellesandFrankCapra.Severalofhis

filmsalsoevokeGermanexpressionistcinema,butalsogesturetowardsFellinisLaStrada. Oneofhismostenduringcommitmentswastoa

socialpedagogyandculturalcommentaryencodedintheveryentertainmenthisfilmsconsciouslypurveyed. Hisfilmspopularityand

tendencytomelodramaticexcessshouldnotoccludebutratherhighlighttheirtrademarkyokingofthetwocontradictoryambitions,

entertainmentandpubliceducation. ThiswasadefiningchallengenotonlyforKapoorsfilmsbutalsoforthewholesubcategoryoftheHindi

social,somethingIhavewrittenaboutelsewhere.ThusKapoorblendsburlesquewithadeepconcernwithissuesofclassandthelegalsystem

inAwaaraorinBootPolish(1954). Otherfilmsturnedonadenunciationofpoliticalcorruptionandgenderhypocrisy,asinRamTeriGanga

Maili(Ram,YourGangaisPolluted,1985)whilealsocrammingtheplotwithsonganddanceattractions. Buthismosteffectivevehiclefor

socialcommentary

remained

his

carefully

cultivated

underdog

persona

as

an

Indian

Charlie

Chaplina

counterpart

of

the

Trickster

figure

or

the

ShakespeareanFool,anoutsiderwithintheculturewhospeaksthetruththatmightotherwisebeunpalatableordifficulttoexpress. Thismotif

andfigurewasthedurablelinchpinofKapoorsoeuvre,beginningwiththevagabondorsavageofAwaarabutalsofindingsuccessive

incarnationsinthemischievousandeponymoustrampofShree420orthetragicclownofMeraNaamJoker. Significantly,MeraNaamJoker,

whichwasaboxofficeflopwhenfirstreleased,wentontobecomenotonlythemostprofitablefilmofhisstudio,RKFilms:italsoremained

thedirectorsownfavoritefilm.

Kapoorisnotsatisfiedjusttocommentonthemundaneandsometimesunpleasantreality. Healsowantstoofferasimulacrumof

whatiselusiveinthatreality:love,beauty,happiness,andpleasure. ItisthistensionthatanimatesthebrilliantdreamsequenceinAwaara,but

alsothedramaticconflictofSatyam,Shivam,Sundaram,introducingZeenatAman. Thisbeautifulactressplaystheroleofanunfortunate

woman,Rupa,whosefaceishorriblydisfiguredbyaburn. Herlover,playedbyShashiKapoor,isconfrontedwithanalmostSocratic,

phenomenologicalconundrum:howcanawomanbebothblessedwithabeautifulvoiceandcursedwithsuchinauspiciousdeformity,

evidentlythestigmataofdivinedispleasure? Kapooraskshisviewerstoreexaminetheirreceivedideasofbeautyandfate.1Butthereal

psychologicalinterestofthisconceitemergeswhen,withakindofperversityHitchcockmighthavesavored,theherodisavowstherealityand

insistsonsuperimposinghisfantasyonthatreality,hallucinatingaperfectlyformedRupa,whosenamecouldbetranslatedasbeautifulbut

alsoasform,whilerejectingthedeformedbutrealRupa,whoisalreadyhiswife.

GivenhiscommitmenttosocialrealismitisnosurprisethatKapoorisobsessedwithclass. ThusinBarsaatKapoorhighlightsclass

differencestodramatizetheconflictbetweenvillageandcity,thelocalandthecosmopolitan,butalsotheircohabitationinIndianmodernity.

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SimilarlyinAwaaraclassstruggleisrefractedasthemainimpedimenttothelovebetweenthemaincharacters;itisalsoananalogforthe

dialecticaloppositionbetweenindigenousculturalidentityandWesterninfluences.

MeraNaamJokertooturnsontheproblematicofclassdifference. Rajuisthesonofacircusclownwhoinheritshisfather's

profession. Playingtheclownhimself, Kapoordeliversasocialcritiqueabouttheliessocietyisfoundedon,andtheliesthatordinaryIndians

mustlivetostruggleagainstpovertyandhunger.Rajuadmitslyingtogainentryintocircusemployment,andhistestimonyisdeeplymovingto

theSovietvisitorstothecircus.Heisfoundguiltyofbeinghumane.Wemightsaythat Kapoorsbroadestcommitment istobeingthusguilty

ofhumanity.

Classdifferenceissometimesimbricatedwithethnicorevenracialdifference,asintheblockbusterBobby(1973),wherearich

HindubusinessmanssonfallsinlovewithaservantsGoanChristiangranddaughter. SimilarlyinMeraNaamJoker theeponymousJokerfalls

inloveseriallywiththreewomenfromdifferentclass,ethnicorracialbackgrounds,includingaNorthIndianChristianandevenaRussian

woman.2 Hilariouslybutmeaningfully,RajutheIndianjokerismistakenforaRussian.Kapoorpointedlyusesthisdevicetocommunicatehis

messageoftransnationalsolidarityinatimewhenpostcolonialIndiasNehruvianorientationwasmoretotheSovietUnionthantotheUnited

States.ThisnodoubtcontributedtoKapoorsbeingwelcomedintheSovietUnionasComradeVagabond.

AnotherimportantclusteroftopoiinKapoorsfilmsemergesashiscomplexrepresentationsofmasculinityandfemininityinthe

newIndia. HisimagesofthemodernIndianmale,andexplorationsofrelationshipsbetweenmen,areoftenstructurallycritical: therakeand

thesincerelover,thelawabidingcitizenversusthevagabond.Kapoorsrepresentationofwomenwasifanythingmorecomplicated

sometimesapproximating

aproto

feminist

sensitivity,

but

at

other

moments

verging

on

sexual

objectification

or

prurience.

Indeed

one

critic

suggeststhatKapoormanifestedthecarnalityofaschoolboy.Hedidseemtodelightintemptingthecensorwithhishighlysexualized

representationsofwomeninarangeoffilms.Yethisbroaderambitionwastointerrogatesocialinstitutionsandarrangementssuchas

marriage,patriarchy,thedysfunctionalfamily,andthepolicingofsexuality.InMeraNaamJokerforinstance,heintroducesthecharacterof

Meenaasasinglewomanwhomustmasqueradeasaboytoprotectherselffromamisogynistandpatriarchalculture. Butthemost

complicatedfemalepresenceinKapoorsworkandlifewasalwaysNargis,theactorwithwhomhehadanintenseon andanoffscreen

relationship.

Thisretrospective,whichincidentallylooksforwardtotheapproaching25thanniversaryofKapoorspassing,promisestobeatreat

forcinephilesandloversofIndiancinemabutalsoafascinatingculturalintroductionforothers. TonightsfilmisShree420,orMister420. The

titlederivesoriginallyfromsection420oftheIndianPenalCodeunderwhichfeloniessuchastheftanddeceptionareprosecuted. Incommon

parlance,though,

this

number

has

become

acatch

phrase,

referring

to

any

kind

of

mischief.

Generically

then

this

is

another

manifestation

of

thewise,tragicorotherwisecomplicatedclownfigurethatwassodeartothedirectorsheart. ForKapoorthisfooltaughtlaughternotagainst

lifebutforandwithlife. InthisspiritIhopeyouwillenjoythisfilmandtherestoftheretrospective.

Andnow,onwiththeshow.

1Rajeev(ShashiKapoorappearsatjusttherightmomentofcourseasherprospectivemate. HisfirstencounterwiththebeautifulbutscarredRupaisatarailwaystation,relativelydark

thoughitis,itisstillsurprisingthathedoesnotevenseeher,whensheisalmostintouchingdistance. Hisfirstencounterafterthatiswithhervoice; thevillagehasbecomeaccustomedto

hersingingintheearlymorning.Rajeevappreciatesthebeautifulsinging,buthismistakenpremiseisthatonlyabeautifulfacecanbeassociatedwithabeautifulvoice. RajKapoorsself

appointedtaskthenistoshowhowheandthereforetheviewermustdisabusehimorherself ofthatmistakenpresence. Ofcoursetheprocessoccursinstages. Someofthemaremirth

producing,suchastheoccasiononwhichRajeevattendsavillagefairhopingtomeetthevillagegirlRupawithwhosevoicehehasbecomesmitten. Heassumesshewillbebeautiful,buthis

limitedunderstanding

of

what

is

beautiful

is

already

signaled

when

he

walks

into

afairground

display

of

distorting

mirrors.

He

turns

away

in

horror

and

fright

from

his

own

distorted

reflection,

asthoughheweresurprisedbythedistortionthisitselfissurprisinginanengineerwhoclearlyhasbeeninstrumentalintheconstructionofthedamwhoseinaugurationhehascometothe

villagetoattend. Herevealsthathecannottolerateanyformofugliness. Thefilmclearlypresentsthisastheflawintheheroscharacter. Pointedlyheisasked,ifheweretofaceugliness

inreallife,howcouldheexpecttofaceit?

2InBobbyitisarguablyeventhecentraltheme,foritisthechiefimpedimentinthefilmsstory. TheprotagonistRajaisthescionofabusinessmanandhiswife,butwasbroughtupbytheir

Christiannanny,Mrs.Braganza. Importantly,Rajafeelsclosertotheservant,wholovedhimlikeamother,morethantohisownparents.RajasfatherdeniesthematchbetweenMrs.

BraganzasgranddaughterBobbyandRajapreciselyonthegroundsofthedifferenceinclassbetweenthelovers.