‘Awara’ a film that is etched in my mind: Amitabh Bachchan on Raj Kapoor’s birth centenary

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) Amitabh Bachchan paid tributes to Raj Kapoor on the occasion of the legendary actor-filmmaker’s 100th birth anniversary, describing the 1951 classic “Awara” as a shining example of his “incredible showmanship” that left a lasting impression on the megastar.

Bachchan, 82, said the “powerful and mystical symbolism” in the famous dream sequence of the black-and-white movie, also starring Nargis, is his favourite part about “Awara”.

The film revolves around the intertwining lives of a poor thief Raj (played by Raj Kapoor), the privileged Rita (Nargis), and Judge Raghunath (Prithviraj Kapoor) who is unaware that Raj is his son.

Raj Kapoor also directed and produced “Awara”, which was penned by his frequent collaborator Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.

“Even today ‘Awara’ is a film that is etched in my mind. Talking about Rajji’s incredible showmanship, the way he envisioned the dream sequence in the film had never been seen before.

“You are amazed by his fantastical imagination that visualised the surreal setting, the ethereal Nargisji emerging through thick clouds of smoke, Rajji surrounded by demonic figures and burning fires – there is a powerful, mystical symbolism in the dream sequence, and that is my favourite,” Bachchan wrote in an X post.

Raj Kapoor would have turned 100 on December 14.

To mark his birth anniversary, the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) and RK Films organised ‘Raj Kapoor 100 – Celebrating the Centenary of the Greatest Showman’, a three-day grand festival of 10 milestone Raj Kapoor films screening in 40 cities and 135 cinemas across the country. It will conclude on Sunday.

“Continuing our commitment to bringing classic cinema back to the big screen, I am so happy that Film Heritage Foundation has joined hands with RK Films to keep the legacy of Raj Kapoor alive and give audiences all over India an opportunity to revisit the films of an artist who lived for cinema and whose films gave voice to the common man,” FHF ambassador Bachchan added in his post.

Bachchan’s daughter Shweta is married to Raj Kapoor’s daughter Ritu Nanda’s son Nikhil.

Raj Kapoor also directed films such as “Barsaat”, “Shree 420”, “Sangam”, “Mera Naam Joker”, “Bobby” and “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” during his illustrious 40-year career. He died in 1988.