Raj Kapoor Turns 102 on December 14, and His Tramp Still Makes People Smile

Illustration: AI-generated with Pollinations (FLUX), free to use

Raj Kapoor was born on December 14, 1924, in Peshawar, in what is now Pakistan. He acted, directed and produced, and he built a studio and a body of films that made him one of the most recognised names in Indian cinema. He died in 1988, but his birth anniversary is still marked each year.

Photo: Artem Abd, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Awaara (1951) is the film that carried his name far beyond India. It tells the story of a man shaped by poverty and a difficult childhood, and its songs became popular in many countries. Its success in the Soviet Union is often mentioned as an example of how far his films travelled.

Stamp: India Post, Government of India, Government of India Open Data licence, via Wikimedia Commons

Shree 420 (1955) gave him one of his best-known songs, Mera Joota Hai Japani, and a comic character that combined humour with a serious social message. His screen tramp owed a clear debt to Charlie Chaplin, but Kapoor made the figure his own, with an old jacket, a battered hat and a hopeful heart.

Photo: Ana Raquel S. Hernandes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mera Naam Joker (1970) is a long and personal film about a clown, and many fans count it among his most ambitious work. Bobby (1973) was a box-office success that launched Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor, and it showed a younger, brighter style of romance.

A birthday is a good excuse to watch these films again. Start with Awaara if you want the classic, or Shree 420 if you want the songs and the comedy.