Decoding Shree 420 (1955)

Movie no. 7/100

May 5, 2018

With the seventh movie in my movie challenge, I went back to the black-and-white era! I picked the 

1955 blockbuster, Shree 420, with Raj Kapoor and Nargis in the lead. Directed and Produced by Raj Kapoor, Shree 420 is a social drama about the rich in the newly freed India exploiting the poor. It is a light-hearted take on the economic disparity that existed in our society, though it has considerably narrowed now.

Raj (played by Raj Kapoor) is a poor Allahabadi who arrives in Mumbai to earn a living, armed only with a degree in BA and a medal of honesty. He is honest, hard-working and innocent when he arrives in the Maximum City, but soon, reality strikes him. He meets Vidya (played by Nargis), a young, righteous school teacher, who is the only bread-winner after her father is rendered wheel-chair ridden. After a couple of odd jobs and a parallel love track with Vidya, Raj is introduced to the world of glitz and glam by a sultry, rich con-woman, Maya (played by Nadira). Raj is soon seduced by the greed and riches, and gets into earning them through unethical means. He is made an accomplice in a ponzi scheme by a shrewd businessman, Seth Sonachand (played by Nemo), where they cheat the public to amass more than a crore (a huge amount back in the day, when gold was, apparently, 80 rupay ka tola). But Raj’s conscience and Vidya’s barbs engulf him with guilt, which make him leave the miserable life of riches and reunite with Vidya.

Raj Kapoor is hailed as the greatest showman of Indian Cinema and Shree 420 is considered one of his major works. His antics in the first half mimic Charlie Chaplin – the use of hat, a stick in his hand and loud expressions. He explains it beautifully as a mask that he wears to hide his sorrows. The mask also symbolizes the fake face of benevolence that the shrewd rich men wear to deceive the poor. Raj Kapoor, as a director, tries to evoke certain emotions by using an alternate narrative. One of my favorites is the scene where he shows two hands with wads of cash and Nargis in between, expressing her disgust at the greed of her beloved. Another favorite of the filmmakers in the 50s, was to make the conscience of a person speak to them – depicted onscreen as a conversation between the character and his image in the mirror (Raj Kapoor) or a ghostly silhouette (Nargis). It would have been fascinating for the viewers in the 1950s, since the technology was primitive in that age.  

Nargis plays a righteous, demure, girl-next-door who holds her head high and stands by her principles. Like Gayatri Joshi in my last movie in this challenge, Swades, Nargis acts as a catalyst to bring her beloved back to senses. She is beautiful and restrained. Nadira plays the quintessential hindi-film ‘vamp’ – stylish, cunning and a seductress. She uses her sky-high brows and haughty stance to play the evil lady perfectly. The supporting cast, headlined by Lalita Pawar in a positive role, support the story well. Raj Kapoor, playing Raj, carries the film with aplomb! He is extremely expressive as a Chaplin clown and equally good as the forlorn man torn between luxuries and ethics. It would be incomplete to talk about the movie and not mention its superb soundtrack by Shankar-Jaikishan. This movie gave us some of the biggest chartbusters and an iconic – Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua.

I have two more Raj Kapoor masterpieces in my list – Awaara and Mera Naam Joker. Going by the start, I cannot wait to watch these two 😊