The ShowMan

Raj Kapoor

Date of Birth
14 December 1924, Peshawar, British India (now Pakistan)

Date of Death
2 June 1988, New Delhi, India (kidney failure, heart failure, asthma)

Raj Kapoor suffered from asthma in his later years; he died of complications related to asthma in 1988 at the age of 63. At the time of his death, he was working on the movie Heena (an Indo -Pakistan based love story). The film was later completed by his sons Randhir and Rishi Kapoor, and narrated by his brother Shammi Kapoor.

Birth Name
 Ranbir Raj Kapoor

Nickname
 Showman of Bollywood

At the age of eleven, he appeared in films for the first time, in the 1935 film Inquilab. After acting in several other films the next 12 years, Raj Kapoor's big break came with the lead role in Neel Kamal (1947) opposite Madhubala in her first role as a leading lady. In 1948, at the age of twenty-four, he established his own studio, R. K. Films, and became the youngest film director of his time making his directorial debut with the film Aag. Aag marked the first of many films in which he and Nargis appeared together. In 1949 he co-starred alongside Dilip Kumar in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster Andaz which was his first major success as an actor.

Awards

Kapoor had received many awards throughout his career, including 9 Filmfare Awards and 19 nominations. His films Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954) were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His acting in the former was rated as one of the "Top-Ten Performances of all time", by the Time Magazine.[2] His film Jagte Raho (1956) also won the Crystal Globe award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 - the highest award for cinematic excellence in India. In 2001, he was honoured with “Best Director of the Millennium” by Stardust Awards. He was named “Showman of the Millennium” by Star Screen Awards in 2002.

In June 2011,Noah Cowan, Artistic Director of TIFF Bell Lightbox, and Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft along with members of the Kapoor family came together to pay tribute to the life and work of Indian actor, director, mogul and legend Raj Kapoor, as presented in partnership by TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA), and the Government of Ontario.

List of films with Shankar Jaikishan: 

(18 Films)Barsaat (1949)
Aah (1953)
Awaara (1951)
Boot Polish (1954)
Shree 420 (1955)
Chori Chori (1956)    Anari (1959)
Kanhaiya (1959)
Main Nashe Men Hoon (1959)
Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960)
Aashiq (1962)
Ek Dil Sao Afsane (1963)    Sangam (1964)
Teesri Kasam (1966)
Around the World (1967)
Diwana (1967)
Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968)
Mera Naam Joker (1970)


Nargis
Raj Kapoor and Nargis worked together in 16 films including 6 of his own productions.Aag (1948)
Andaz (1949)
Barsaat (1949)
Pyaar (1950)    Jan Pehchan (1950)
Awaara (1951)
Amber (1952)
Anhonee (1952)    Ashiana (1952)
Bewafa (1952)
Aah (1953)
Paapi (1953)    Dhoon (1953)
Shree 420 (1955)
Chori Chori (1956)
Jagte Raho (1956)

Mukesh

Mukesh was Raj Kapoor's almost exclusive singing voice in almost all of his films. Also, when Mukesh died, Raj had said, "Main ne apni aawaaz ko kho diya..." ("I have lost my voice..."). However Manna Dey has also sung many notable and super-hit songs for Raj Kapoor, for instance in Shree 420 and Chori Chori. Examples of such songs are best illustrated by following songs:
Dil Ka Haal Sune Dil Wala (Shree 420)
Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein Hum (Chori Chori)
Jahan Mein Jati Hoon Wahin Chale Aate Ho (Chori Chori)
Yeh Raat Bhigi Bhigi, Yeh Mast Fizayen (Chori Chori)
Masti Bhara Hai Samaan (Parvarish)
A Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo (Mera Naam Joker)
Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua Hai (Shree 420)
Laga Chunri Mein Daag (Dil Hi to Hai)

About
Raj Kapoor was the son of well-known Indian actor Prithviraj Kapoor, who acted both in film and on stage. After apprenticing in the Bollywood production studios of the 1940's, at 24 years of age Raj Kapoor produced, directed and acted in Aag (1948), with his new company, RK Films. His next production, Barsaat (1949), was a smash hit. In 1951, he also produced, directed and starred in Awaara (1951), which was another megahit, and costarred Nargis, who had appeared in Aag and Barsaat. Awaara also gained popular acclaim in Russia, where the movie and songs were dubbed into Russian. The theme song, Awaara Hoon, was popular in the East for many years. Kapoor has been dubbed "a great showman," and a filmmaker in the purest Romantic tradition, as he strove to entertain as well as address social themes close to his heart. Awaara dealt with the question of what forms an individual's moral grounding, ("nurture or nature") while incorporating comedy and stirring love scenes; in Shree 420 (1955) he addressed issues of poverty, unemployment and national pride in the new Indian state at the same time maintaining the audience's interest in the romantic plot. While never revolutionary in tone, many of his films explore the ability of the individual to overcome economic and environmental injustice while maintaining his/her innocence and integrity. He is quoted as believing that the individual's struggles ultimately lead to the desire for love, to care and be cared for. This is consistent with his admiration of Charles Chaplin, and Kapoor's own "tramp" (Awaara, Shree 420, Mera Naam Joker (1972) is modeled somewhat on his mentor, though with a definite individual flair.

His films demonstrate an understanding of music and direction that continue to influence Bollywood filmmaking today. Also a musician, his understanding of the musical feel of his movies gives them a storytelling fluidity equal to that of the best American movie musicals. He surrounded himself with the foremost talents in filmmaking, acting, writing (Kwaja Ahmad Abbas'), music composition (Jaikishan Dayabhai Pankal, 'Shankarsinh Raguwanshi'), and playback singers, including Mukesh, 'Mohamed Rafi', and Lata Mangeshkar. Kapoor continued to make films of varying critical and popular success up until his death in 1988, and apparently considered Mera Naam Joker his personal favorite. He is still a well-known name not only in India, but in the Middle East, SE Asia, and Eastern Europe. His descendants have attempted to continue the RK Films banner.