MUCH has happened to Indian cinema since the .passing away of Raj Kapoor on June 2. 1988 And yet. as an entertainer, his popularity among cine-going masses probably remains unmatched. His films do not belong to the class of ^Masterpieces, but their earthy appeal and charm of youth and romance assure him of a fan following that time can never diminish.

What brought Raj Kapoor such stupendous popularity?

One could say it was hts perpetual endeavour to win the approval of his audiences. On the opening night of his films, he would quietly enter the theatre and sit with the audience to observe their reactions. He Judged the worth of-hls creative efforts by the level of their acceptance by the viewers.

This keenness for audience approval. It would seem, was a hang-over from Raj Kapoor s stage days when he performed for the Prithvi Theatre under the tutelage of his father Prlthviraj Kapoor who too measured the validity of a performance by the kind of response it evoked from the people.

Raj Kapoor believed that, people identified themselves with the characters he created on the screen, characters that he drew from the everyday life. "As people write diaries. I write screenplays." he once stated. A stray incident, a chance remark, a flash of colour, an unusual sound ... all got embedded in his mind and at some later time when the occasion offered itself, they got incorporated in his films.

The themes of Raj Kapoor's films were based on his interpretation of the world as he saw it as well as an ideal world -Athat he dreamt of. He said his "relationships — lived through his films and experienced love, romance, rejection — through them.

In terms of box office earnings. Raj Kapoor s films were the most successful of the tiirfes. Nevertheless, lie would always remember and narrate his humble beginnings in the industry and the years of hard work he put in to reach the top.

Raj launched himself in his career in cinema in a low position and did not mind even having to sweep fldors or shift furniture on the seis. For nearly a decade he was a clapper boy. trolley puller and errand runner, all rolled into one. But he utilised the period to learn the art of film making by watching directors, actors, rnake-up men. art directors and cameramen. He taught himself the technique of editing, the play of light and shadows and the effects of sound and music. At the same time, to earn some extra money, he occasionally sought bit roles in films. A chance encounter with Kidar Sharma landed him the lead role in Neel Kamal It was -break hp hardly needed, and the money he earned from I he film, besides some other as signments. helped him launch his own production company in 1947.

R K Films' maiden venture. Aag (1948) saw the debut of Nargis as Raj’s heroine. Money was scare those days and he had to borrow from his cook to feed his unit. But the film, when released, set a new trend of social romanticism in Indian cinema.

A year later came Barsaat — a film woven around the story of young love which established Raj Kapoor as a sensitive film maker in full control over the medium. After two years, in 1951. came Awara — a landmark in Indian film making — it went on to make history beyond the national frontiers. The much-loved tramp — a take-off from the Charlie Chaplin persona — was introduced in Awara and repeated through several other films later.

According to Raj Kapoor, his was "a cinema born in an age of idealism" — the post-independence period enthus-

ing people to build a new India of their dreams. Thus, all his early films had a social purpose, even though they were made with an eye on the boxoffice. His overriding anxiety was to entertain first.

As an artiste. Raj Kapoor . had his own fixations and one of these was his so-called "preoccupation" with the female anatomy. Barring probably -Nargis, all his heroines had to undergo a certain degree of exposure lor the lienefit of the camera, often in shots with suggestive angles.

This unconventional approach attracted a great deal of criticism but Raj justified it by insisting that he was "a worshipper of feminine beauty".

He saw no vulgarity in the projection of the female form on screen or in nudity, per se.

Occasional reports of his dalliances with his leading ladies made Raj Kapoor an "eternal lover" in the eyes of his fans. The most celebrated of these affairs was his romance with Nargis, his favourite heroine for more than a decade.

In a widely televised interview. Raj narrated his first meeting with Nargis: "I had gone to ask her to act in Aag. She was cooking, and as she answered the doorbell with flour stained hands, she pushed ‘back her hair falling over her eyes. Her Innocence and good looks dazzled npe. It was love at first sight. I recreated that scene later wrth Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor in Bobby."

Long after their association. Raj Kapoor used to talk about the beauty, grace and sensitivity of Nargis: "She could generate in a person a certain spiritual power that could vitalise him to work and achieve anything!” Raj had also developed lasting relationships with his cinematographer Radhu Karmakar, playback singers Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar, lyricist Shailendra. music composers Shankar-Jaikishan and story writer K A Abbas.

"Films are my life, my benediction, the very breath of my soul." said Raj Kapoor in his later years. "I have achieved what 1 wanted, to be nearer to the people and to dwell in their hearts."

Such statements were not without basis. For even 40 years after he had made Awara. truck drivers on the China-Tibet road were known to ask Indian travellers if they had seen the film and to sing its theme song. — PTI Feature

Ms Mankekar. a Delhi-based writer, is a member of the National Integration Council.