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Raj was at his best when he mingled laughter with tears

Past forward Scenes from “Shree 420"

It was in 1949. The late Tripti Mitra was shooting with Raj Kapoor for Mahesh Kaul’s “Gopinath”. After an emotional sequence she went on record saying, “It is very difficult to face Raj Kapoor. His eyes speak volumes and no ac tress can match his range of expressions.” Supporting the statement, Satyajit Ray, after seeing “Teesri Kasam”, commented, “Raj Kapoor should not waste his time in direction. He has plenty to give as an actor and as Heeraman in this film he is mind blowing.”

These comments amply define Raj Kapoor, a born actor who is better known as a showman and entertainer. His acting abilities have remained in the shadow of Raj Kapoor the director/producer. Among the grand trio of Indian cinema, Dilip Kumar was the ultimate method actor, Dev Anand the great romantic and Raj Kapoor the born actor.

Ranvir Raj Kapoor was an assistant to director Kidar Sharma in the mid ’40s. But he was very fond of facing the camera. One day before a shot he applied make-up on his face and just walked in front of the camera casually. Sharma, a strict disciplinarian, was annoyed at this and slapped Kapoor on his face. Tears rolled down the young Raj Kapoor’s face as he never expected this from his mentor. Next day Sharma announced “Neel Kamal” starring Raj Kapoor and Geeta Bali which marked the debut of the great showman.

Raj Kapoor then acted in a few films like “Jail Yatra” and became a director at the age of 23 with “Aag”. For films directed by him he designed his personality on the lines of his idol Charlie Chaplin in films like “Awara”, “Shree 420”, “Barsaat” and even “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai”. Even in “Sangam” there were shades of the same image. He loved to portray the eternal tramp who loses everything but ultimately wins on the basis of his good samaritan nature.

Though he himself was a brilliant director he never interfered in the works of other directors when he was working for them. He gave his best as an actor under other directors in “Jaagte Raho”, “Phir Subha Hogi” and “Teesri Kasam”. In his best known directional venture, “Mera Naam Joker”, he performed a character no actor of the Indian screen had dared till then. His contemporary Dilip Kumar says, “Raj was at his best when he mingled laughter with tears. In ‘Andaz’ in the scene where he deliberately puts off the lights during a party and then puts them on again, he lights a cigarette and gives a smile, meaning he understood my affair with his wife Nargis. He was outstanding in that moment without any dialogues.”

He dared to attempt a double role in K.A. Abbas’s “Papi” in 1953 and the film showed two different Raj Kapoors. Seeing “Papi”, veteran V. Shantaram commented, “Raj is an effortless actor. He floors you with his emotions.”

Waheeda Rehman remembers, “Raj Kapoor was the most spontaneous actor I have ever faced. He learnt and danced Bharatanatyam with me in the song sequence ‘Par Dil Hamiko Dijiye’ in ‘Ek Dil Sau Afsane’ without making a single mistake.”

"Ek Dil Sau Afsane".

Raj expressed every emotion minutely and passionately through his eyes and face. Dev Anand and Manoj Kumar agree. After “Mera Naam Joker” flopped, he never faced the camera in films he directed. He graduated to mature characters and proved his versatility in “Kal Aaj Aur Kal”, “Khan Dost” and “Gopichand Jasoos”. Even today people see “Dharam Karam” to marvel at Raj Kapoor singing “Ek Din Bik Jayega” to Mukesh’s playback. He could play a number of musical instruments like the flute, violin, tabla and had an inborn sense of music and rhythm. He was a master in song sequences both as an actor and director. Whilst singing a song he did his best to get the correct mood. He proved his versatility in “Anari”, “Main Nashen Mein Hoon” and “Char Dil Char Rahen”. Raj Kapoor did not prefer action dramas though he performed action scenes in “Sriman Satyabadi”, “Chalia” and “Dil Hi To Hai”.

Paying tribute on his 20th death anniversary that fell on June 2, director Madhur Bhandarkar said, “Today no actor has the range Rajsaab had. I regret I could not direct a born actor who was every director’s delight. He brought tears to viewers’ eyes like no other actor of his period could.”

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