On it's sixtieth anniversary, iconic RK film Awaara finds itself represented through its dialogue, in a book by Nasreen Munni Kabir
On it's sixtieth anniversary, iconic RK film Awaara finds itself represented through its dialogue, in a book by Nasreen Munni Kabir
Hagiography can be a dangerous thing: The need to smoothen unruly lines, gloss over the unsavoury, and create a polished relic. And yet, when film critics turn their notoriously fickle eyes to the six-decade old wonder that is Awaara, one can't help but forgive them.u00a0
The Dialogue of Awaara: Raj Kapoor's Immortal Classic, translated by
Nasreen Munni Kabir is published by Niyogi Books. u00a0
Available at Crossword and other leading bookstores for Rs 1,250
What, after all, would future Bollywood directors have done if Raj Kapoor hadn't paid a token amount for this particular script? They would have no access to the fantasy song sequence, for one. Or the thwarted love story between rich and poor. Or even shudder -- the item number of no consequence to the plot!u00a0
Kapoor, then just 27, showed how these seemingly disparate elements could all come together, creating a quintessential Bollywood product in the process. There were foreign influences too (a certain Mr Chaplin springs to mind), but the chemistry between the lead pair, on and off screen, was magical. It made Raj and Nargis pin-up stars in many parts of the world. The title song was re-recorded in a number of languages. And, it was nominated for the Grand Prize at Cannes in 1953. Not bad for a story born five years before in Mahabaleshwar, where scriptwriters KA Abbas and VP Sathe were holidaying.u00a0
A book on Awaara's dialogue -- a much-neglected area of Indian film studies -- has just hit bookstores, to coincide with the film's sixtieth anniversary. Translated by documentary filmmaker Nasreen Munni Kabir, it places the English dialogue alongside the original Hindi and Urdu. Also included are stills, an extended commentary, and a foreword by Rak Kapoor's son Randhir Kapoor. Interestingly, according to the latter, Awaara was closely linked to the creation of RK Studios. It was during the making of the film that Raj Kapoor bought land in Chembur. The set was roofless, and power wasn't easily available during the day, so many scenes had to be filmed
by night.u00a0
Not as interesting, sadly, are the dialogues themselves. Kabir plods on, taking every turn of phrase and submitting it to her own system of transliteration that, at times, simply fails to engage. When, for instance, the dialogue "Julmi badi bewafa hai" becomes "She has led me a merry dance," you know it's time to put away the book and go back to the DVD. Imagine Raj and Nargis under an umbrella, the rain pouring down, and the former singing "I am a tramp" -- it's just not the same, is it?
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