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Shree
420. 1955. India. Directed by Raj Kapoor. Pictured: Nargis (left)
and Raj Kapoor (right). Image courtesy of University of California, Berkeley
Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive.
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The Museum of Modern Art will be presenting Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema. This film series, which will run from from January 6 through 16, 2012, reveals through eight legendary films the work of actor, director, and mogul Raj Kapoor (1924-1988). Largely unknown in North America—except to filmgoers of South Asian descent—Kapoor is revered not only in India but also throughout the former Soviet world, the Middle East, and beyond for the films he made during the Golden Age of Indian cinema.
Presented in newly struck 35mm prints, Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema offers an introduction to one of the most ravishing and influential periods of world cinema. Kapoor founded RK Films in 1948, and it became the most important Hindi studio of the post-Independence era—and the one most commonly associated with the nebulous and often misunderstood expression "Bollywood."
The exhibition is curated by Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, TIFF Bell Lightbox, and organized by TIFF, IIFA, and RK Films, with the support of the Government of Ontario. It is organized for MoMA by Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.
ACF will provide further information, including film descriptions, the complete schedule, and purchasing tickets, as soon as it's available in the near future.
Raj Kapoor's social dramedy "Shree 420" is a real classic gem. His character represents the common man who is lost in a world dominated by the rich and famous. This role, in an amazingly dizzy combination of comedy and drama, is unforgettable. He is sad, he is lonely, he does not know what the future plans for him, so he just prefers to forget it all, be cynical and laugh about his misery. He falls in love with a beautiful young woman called Vidya and wants to succeed on his own moral terms, but it's just impossible when the society is cruel. After being introduced to the world of gamblers by a vulgar dancer named Maya where he can use his talent for card manipulation, he decides to use his skills and become part of this corrupted society. When he wants to come back, it's perhaps too late. Such was the lot for simple people of that time. Raj Kapoor makes a fantastic job in terms of acting and directing. As a director, he pays attention to details and makes sure all the required elements of the film are done realistically. As an actor, he delivers a terrific performance. His comic timing is top-notch, his pain is well evident, and he makes his character's transformation from a simple funny guy to a sophisticated gambler to a serious and unhappy businessman brilliantly. consulta online medico online pediatra online medico online doctor online dermatologo online veterinario online veterinario online psychologist online consulta online abogado online abogado online abogado online abogado online abogado online psicologo online doctor online psicologo online abogado online abogado online Nargis, as his beloved Vidya, is just splendid. She is presented as the epitome of goodness, Indian female beauty, purity and modesty. She was a superb actress by every possible standard of judgement, and in this film, too, she is incredibly graceful, natural and believable. Note the scene when Vidya visits the casino along with Raj and is later publicly humiliated by Nadira's Maya. She starts crying quietly and ashamedly, while Raj looks at her, unable to say a word. It's a wonderful scene, brilliantly acted and executed. It goes without saying that Kapoor and Nargis had the most powerful on-screen chemistry of their time.
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