Seeing Raj Kapoor's debut film “Aag” – he made his entry into the film world both as actor and director in this movie – one may be tempted to conclude that the director was inclined to churn out a clumsy drama, with some inept song picturisation, chiefly due to poor understanding of music! For this yawn-arousing film where many scenes do not string coherently, “Aag” has a dreary monotony of a dentist's drill, leaving most immensely dissatisfied with the filmmaker.
But if you realise that the film was made with insufficient technique and tools during the chaotic period of India's Partition, you might forgive it as an aberration of an upcoming, unbridled talent. Though “Aag” (Fire) fails to ignite viewer's enthusiasm, it does reveal flashes of directorial brilliance that was to later set the film world ablaze with breathtaking storytelling and intoxicating song picturisations. It shows how RK learnt his craft by “fire” to become a versatile genius taking care not to repeat mistakes of this box office disaster.
The undoing of the film is its insipid story and screenplay by Inder Raj Anand, wherein the climax is poorly etched, giving no logical reason for incoherent conduct of the leading characters. The film baffles by trying to convey too many contradictory ideologies on too many occasions. So while RK exhorts every artiste to be commercially successful, he also preaches creation as a reward in itself for a performer. Another time he propounds “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”, but also advocates real beauty lies in a man's soul and naturally, such heavy sermons through layers of metaphors, make for bewildering discomfort of audiences.
Lack of harmony
Lyrics penned by Behzaad Lukhnavi and Deepak ought not to be blamed; rather compositions by Ram Gangoly are “not in tune” with the scenic script. Though Mukesh's “Zinda Hun Iss Tarah”, Shamshad Begum's “Naa Aankhon Mein Ansoo” and Shailesh-Shamshad duet “Kaheen ka Deepak, Kahin ki Baatee” stand out for aural appeal, their accompanying visuals are mismatched in pace and emotional connect. A point in reference is Mukesh's song wherein the rhythm is faster than Raj Kapoor's movements on screen, exemplifying lack of harmony and visual punch.
Except for occasional jugglery of angles, V. Reddy's camerawork doesn't enhance the magic of theatre and Babu Bhai Thakkar's poor editing compounds misery since many scenes drag unnecessarily. Exemplifying RK's unsure steps, “Aag” abounds in numerous irrelevant scenes and stilted acting whereby, despite stalwarts like Nargis, Prem Nath, Kamini Kaushal and Raj Kapoor; junior Shashi Kapoor steals the limelight with his innocence and spontaneity.
The story is related in flashback by Kewal Khanna (Raj Kapoor) to his bride (Nigar) when she is horrified to see his scarred face on their wedding night. He recounts his eternal pining for childhood sweetheart Nimmi (who left him when her family moved to another city) and his extreme obsession to carve a name in the theatre world. Besotted, he seeks Nimmi in every girl and when his theatrical ambitions are generously funded by benevolent theatre baron Rajan (Prem Nath), he gives chance to a new girl to act as heroine (Nargis), christening her Nimmi in his infatuation. But after the smashing success of his first play, when he learns Rajan is in love with Nimmi, he disfigures his own face with fire so as to compel Nimmi to marry an able bodied Rajan. As the flashback ends, Kewal's bride accepts him wholeheartedly, despite his disfiguration.
Though visually tiring, “Aag” must be seen to decipher Raj Kapoor's vision of life and theatre since many of the metaphors did take centre stage in his tumultuous career, dominating his film-making conscience. For that reason alone, “Aag” is worth viewing despite its shortcomings.
Starring Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Prem Nath, Kamini Kaushal
