| Awaara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Raj Kapoor |
| Written by | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas |
| Screenplay by | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas |
| Story by | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas V.P. Sathe |
| Produced by | Raj Kapoor |
| Starring | Prithviraj Kapoor Nargis Raj Kapoor Leela Chitnis K. N. Singh Shashi Kapoor |
| Cinematography | Radhu Karmakar |
| Edited by | G.G. Mayekar |
| Music by | Shankar–Jaikishan |
Production companies | All India Film Corporation, R.K. Films |
| Distributed by | R.K. Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 193 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindustani |
| Box office | est.₹15.6 crore |
Awaara, also writtenAwāra[n 1] and known overseas asThe Vagabond,[1][2][3] is a1951Indiancrime drama film, produced and directed byRaj Kapoor, and written byKhwaja Ahmad Abbas and V.P. Sathe.[4] It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life fatherPrithviraj Kapoor, as well asNargis,Leela Chitnis andK. N. Singh. Other members of theKapoor family make an appearance, including Raj's youngest brotherShashi Kapoor, who plays the younger version of his character, and Prithiviraj's father Dewan Basheshwarnath Singh Kapoor, playing a cameo in his only film appearance. The film's music was composed byShankar Jaikishan.
The film expressessocialist themes,[1][5] and blendssocial andreformist themes with thecrime,romantic comedy andmusicalmelodrama genres.[6] The plot centers on the intertwining lives of a poor thief Raj (played by Raj Kapoor), the privileged Rita (played by Nargis), and Judge Raghunath (played by Prithviraj Kapoor) who is unaware that Raj is his son. In the film, Kapoor's poor "little tramp" character referencesCharlie Chaplin and was further developed in other Kapoor films such asShree 420.Awaara is considered a milestone in the history ofBollywood.
The film became an overnight sensation inSouth Asia, and found even greater success further afield in theSoviet Union,East Asia,Africa, theCaribbean, theMiddle East, andEastern Europe.[7][8] In particular, the song "Awaara Hoon" ("I am a Vagabond"), sung byMukesh with lyrics byShailendra, became hugely popular across theIndian subcontinent, as well as in countries such as the Soviet Union,[9][10]China,[1][5]Bulgaria,[8]Turkey,Afghanistan, andRomania. The film was also nominated for theGrand Prize at theCannes Film Festival in 1953.[11] The film is estimated to have sold over 200 million tickets overseas, including more than 100 million in China and about 100 million in the Soviet Union.[12][13] Owing to its popularity in so many countries, the film is a candidate for the most successful film of all time and is considered to beone of the greatest films of all time.[8] In 2012,Awaara was included in the 20 new entries toAll-Time 100 greatest films by theTime magazine.
Raghunath, a wealthy district judge who believes that "good people are born to good people, and criminals are born to criminals", convicts Jagga, son of a criminal, ofrape with thin evidence. Jagga later escapes and kidnaps the judge's wife, Leela, for revenge. When Jagga finds out that Leela has just become pregnant, he releases her after four days and changes his plan. However, people suspect Leela ofadultery and Raghunath throws her out of their house, rejecting her pleas that the child is his.
Leela gives birth to Raj on the streets, and they both live in poverty. Raj befriends Rita in school. He is removed from the school rolls while trying to maintain a job as ashoeshiner, and Rita moves to another city. Jagga convinces Raj to steal in order to save his starving mother. Raj grows up into a skilled criminal, going in and out of jail, and works for Jagga's gang. Leela thinks that he is a businessman. Raj never forgets Rita, keeping her birthday picture at his home.
For abank robbery, Jagga asks Raj to steal an automobile. He snatches a woman's purse when she steps out of the car but finds no keys. He pretends to pursue the thief in order to ward off any suspicion and returns the purse to the woman, who is charmed by his personality and apparent selflessness. Later, when Raj successfully steals a car, he hides from the police in a mansion where he meets the same woman. Seeing the same birthday picture, Raj realises that she is his school friend Rita. He tells Rita he's a thief, but his figurative statements make her think he is a finance professional. Rita, now studying law, is a ward of Raghunath, who is suspicious when he hears that Raj doesn't know who his father is. Raj and Rita fall in love. Worrying that Rita will not accept him due to his thievery, Raj starts working at a factory but is fired when the manager finds out that he was a thief.
Rita invites him to her birthday party. Raj goes back to Jagga for a loan so that he can buy a gift for her. Jagga mocks his attempts to reform and asks him to commit more crimes. Raj refuses but later steals a necklace from a man on the street, not knowing the man was Raghunath. At Rita's birthday, when Raj gives her a necklace without a case and Raghunath gives her a case without a necklace, she realises that Raj is indeed a thief. Rita goes to Raj's mother and learns his life story. She decides that Raj is not bad but was forced into committing crimes by bad influences and desperate surroundings. Raj is ashamed, still believing he is no good for her, but Rita forgives him.
Raj goes to Raghunath to ask if he can marry Rita, but the judge turns him away. Meanwhile, Jagga and the gang commit the bank robbery, but it goes wrong and they have to run from the police. Jagga hides in Raj's house, where Leela recognizes him and he attacks her. Raj enters and fights him off, killing Jagga inself-defense. Raj goes on trial for Jagga's death, with Raghunath as the judge. When Leela goes to the courthouse to provide her eyewitness account, she sees Raghunath and chases after him but is struck by a car. Rita collects the testimony from Leela in the hospital, and later Raj is allowed to visit her. Leela tells Raj that Raghunath is his father and asks her son to forgive him. Raj only becomes angry at Raghunath for making him and his mother suffer.
Raj escapes from jail and tries to kill Raghunath for revenge but is stopped by Rita. Rita defends Raj in the trial forassault, who reveals the father-son relationship. Raj chooses not to defend his actions and says that he is a bad man. He asks the court not to think of him, but the millions of other children who grow up in poverty and end up turning to crime because high society does not care about them. While he awaits his verdict, Raj is visited by Raghunath, who finally accepts that Raj is his son and tearfully asks for forgiveness. In the end, Raj is spared execution but sentenced to three years in prison for his crime. He promises that after getting released, he will reform himself for Rita, who promises to wait for him.
The music for this film was composed byShankar Jaikishan while the songs were written byShailendra andHasrat Jaipuri. The soundtrack was listed by Planet Bollywood as number 3 on their list of 100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks. The song "Awaara Hoon" was used in the Malayalam filmVishnulokam directed byKamal and starringMohanlal.[14]Awaara was the best-sellingBollywood soundtrack album of the 1950s.[15]
| # | Title | Singer(s) | Lyricist | Raga |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ek Do Teen" | Shamshad Begum | Shailendra | |
| 2 | "Awaara Hoon" | Mukesh | Bhairavi (Hindustani) | |
| 3 | "Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi" | Lata Mangeshkar | Bhairavi (Hindustani) | |
| 4 | "Dam Bhar Jo Udhar Munh Phere" | Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh | ||
| 5 | "Tere Bina Aag Yeh Chandni" | Lata Mangeshkar,Manna Dey | ||
| 6 | "Naiya Meri Manjhdhar" | Mohammed Rafi | ||
| 7 | "Hum Tujhse Mohabbat Kar Ke" | Mukesh | Hasrat Jaipuri | Darbari Kanada |
| 8 | "Ek Bewafa Se Pyar Kiya" | Lata Mangeshkar | ||
| 9 | "Ab Raat Guzarne Wali Hai" | |||
| 10 | "Jab Se Balam Ghar Aaye" | Kafi (raga) |
The film is a collaboration of the famous team of director/producer Raj Kapoor and writerKhwaja Ahmad Abbas. Abbas originally wantedMehboob Khan to direct the film, but the two disagreed over the casting. Khan wantedAshok Kumar to play the judge andDilip Kumar the son. In the event, Abbas withdrew his script fromMehboob Studios and Raj Kapoor decided to direct it.[16] This film was filmed inRK Studio andBombay.
In his column for theIndian Express, Kapoor wrote, "InAwara I tried to prove that Vagabondsare not born, but are created in theslums of our modern cities, in the midst of direpoverty and evil environment."[17]
It was entered in the1953 Cannes Film Festival,[18] where it was nominated for theGrand Prize of the Festival (Palme d'Or).[11] In 1955, it was voted the best film of the year by readers of Turkish dailyMilliyet.[19]
In 2003,Time magazine included it in a list of "10 Indian Films to Treasure".[20]Time magazine also chose Raj Kapoor's performance inAwaara as one of the top ten greatest performances of all time.[21] In 2005,Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the "Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films", writing: "Whenever Raj Kapoor and Nargis came together on screen, sparks flew. Their chemistry was electrifying and it crackles with raw passion in Raj Kapoor'sAwaara. Nargis's wild and carefree sensuality pulsates and Raj Kapoor's scruffy hair-rebellious persona only adds fuel to the fire".[22]Time magazine included the film among the 20 new entries added toAll-Time 100 greatest films in 2012.[23][24][25]
| Territory | Gross revenue | Inflation-adjusted gross revenue (2016) | Footfalls (ticket sales) |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | ₹23 million[26] ($4.83 million)[n 2] | $59 million (₹3.02 billion)[28] | 30 million[29] |
| Turkey | Unknown | Unknown | 100,000 (opening)[19][30] |
| Soviet Union | 37.75 million руб –$16.97 million (₹80.8 million) | $146 million (₹9.12 billion) | 100 million[13] |
| Initial run (1954) | 29 million Rbls[31] – $7.25 million[n 3] (₹34.5 million)[n 2] | $85 million (₹4.37 billion)[28] | 65 million[13] |
| Re-runs (1955–1966) | 8.75 million Rbls[n 4] –$9.72 million[n 5] (₹46.3 million)[34] | $94 million (₹5.41 billion) | 35 million[13] |
| China | CN¥14.8 million –$8.86 million (₹72.2 million) | $41 million (₹2.67 billion) | 100 million[12] |
| Initial release (1955) | CN¥2.8 million[35] –$1.14 million[36] (₹54lakh)[37] | $13 million (₹963 million) | 40 million[35] |
| Re-release (1978) | CN¥12 million[12][38] –$7.72 million (₹62.7 million)[37] | $37 million (₹2.74 billion) | 60 million[12][35] |
| Worldwide | ₹156.1 million ($30.66 million) | $232 million (₹14.81 billion) | 230.1 million |
InIndia, the film grossed a record of₹2.1 crore in 1951,[26] making it the highest-grossing film in India up until that time.[39] This record was later beaten the next year byMehboob Khan'sAan (1952), starringDilip Kumar, which grossed₹2.5 crore in 1952.[40]
InTurkey,Awaara released in 1955. The film sold 100,000 tickets in its first week of release in Turkey. The total number of box office admissions in Turkey is currently unknown.[19][30]
In theSoviet Union,Awaara was released in 1954,[41] debuting at Indian film festivals inMoscow andLeningrad which drew about1.5 million viewers in four days.[42] By the end of the year, it drew an audience of about 64 million viewers in its initial run, the highest for anyfilm in the Soviet Union at the time, until its record was surpassed byAmphibian Man in 1962.[3] At the Soviet box office,Awaara remained the most-viewedIndian film, the third biggest foreign hit of all time,[43][44] and one of the top 20 biggest hits of all time.[3][43][45]
In terms ofgross revenue,Awaara earned 29 million Rbls[31] ($7.25 million,[n 3]₹34.5 million)[n 2] in its initial run, surpassingAan to become thehighest-grossing Indian film overseas at the time.Awaara's 29 million руб was eventually surpassed byDisco Dancer (1982),[9][46] which grossed 60 million руб in the Soviet Union.[46] Including re-runs, which were running for 10–12 years,Awaara's footfalls in the Soviet Union amounted to about 100 million box office admissions, which remains among the highest for an Indian film in an overseas market.[13]
The film was also a success inChina, where it first released in 1955. In its opening week, the film sold4 million tickets, including1.43 million admissions earning adistribution rental income of aboutCN¥100,000 inBeijing alone.[35] Its4 million opening-week ticket sales were equivalent to estimated opening-week rentals of approximately CN¥280,000[35] ($114,000).[36] Prior to its 1978 re-release, the film's initial run had sold a total of 40 million tickets in China.[35]
The film's 1978 re-release was a greater commercial success in China.[47][48] Following its re-release, the film went on to sell a total of more than 100 million tickets,[12] and was the second highest-grossing Indian film in China behind onlyNasir Hussain'sCaravan (1971).[35]
The song "Awaara Hoon" and actorRaj Kapoor were widely known across China and the Soviet Union. The film's success in both the Soviet Union and China has been attributed to thesocialist themes expressed in the film.[1][5]
The filmAwaara and the song "Awaara Hoon" are believed to have been amongChairman Mao's favourite films and songs, respectively.[5][21]Awaara was referenced in the 2000Chinese filmPlatform.[49]
In 2023,Time Out ranked it #20 on its list of the "100 Best Bollywood Movies."[50]
Due to the film's remarkable success with Turkish audiences,Awaara was remade inTurkey a total of eight times. The first and most prominentTurkish film remake wasAvare (1964) starring actorSadri Alışık and actressAjda Pekkan, another Turkish remake wasBenim Gibi Sevenler [tr] (1977) by Temel Gürsu.[51][30][52]
There was also anIranian film remake, calledThe Wheel of the Universe (1967). However, this version may have been a remake of the Turkish remakeAvare, rather than a direct remake of the originalAwaara.[53]
To this day 'Awaara hoon' ('I'ma vagabond'), the title song of Raj Kapoor's Awaara ('The Vagabond', 1951) remains well known throughout Russia, which the director- star visited, and China, where both the song and film were said to be Chairman Mao's favourites
hearing the hit theme song "Awaara Hoon" ("I am wayward") hummed on the streets of Nanjing. Then, traveling through a small town in a more remote part of China, Seth has to perform the song on request at a local gathering: 'No sooner have I begun than I find that the musicians have struck up the accompaniment behind me: they know the tune better than I do
The purchase of Shree 420 (Mr 420/Gospodin 420) followed a letter from a Soveksportfil'm representative in Bombay to officials in Moscow in which the former wrote: We are in a delicate situation with Raj Kapoor. He feels he is not being offered enough for Mr 420 despite the fact that 'The Vagabond' raised29 million roubles for the Soviet state.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)According to newspaper reports, in the first four days of the festival almost a million viewers attended the shows. In Leningrad, more than half a million viewers attended the first four days of the festival.
.svg)
