I revisited this documentary, having seen it many years back when I was actually a child and been very impressed with how beautifully it chronicles the life and career, and more of the latter, of Raj Kapoor. The documentary presents footage of Kapoor himself interviewed for the occasion and it is fascinating to hear that man speak. It is even more satisfying to realise how intelligent and well-spoken he was. Highly eloquent in the English language, Kapoor manages to use his words to articulate exactly what his mind says about his films, his heroines, his vision of life and cinema, which, in his case were probably the same thing.
Well-researched and narrated, the show presents Kapoor's huge success as an actor but probably more as a director. Indeed, Kapoor was a good actor, depending on the work offered to him, but it his filmmaking and directorial efforts which, in my opinion, put him on the world map. The films he directed or produced presented world-class cinema, much on par with the best pictures of the golden age of Italian and French cinema, and presented a director who was able to take the fine, distinctive elements of mainstream Hindi cinema and incorporate them into brilliantly photographed and scripted socio-realist pictures which transcended time and space.
The very first comment by Kapoor on his approach to cinema is very fitting. "I dream cinema, I breath cinema, I live cinema", he said, and it explains so much. Some of his comments on his film heroines are very interesting. The way he analyses their admiration toward him, interpreting it just as them falling in love with themselves and the characters they played on-screen and thinking they're in love with Kapoor just out of gratitude or appreciation of his directorial efforts, is quite interesting. On the other hand, he didn't deny any affairs with some of the ladies who were rumoured to have been in a relationship with him.
The film includes a lot of archival material, including photos and scenes from films, which have great nostalgic value. Moreover, an insight of what goes on behind the camera is fascinating. Kapoor's relationships with the crew, and with Lata Mangeshkar, a legendary singer, is really nice to watch. Some interesting trivia include an unforgettable scene from Bobby, where the lead pair meet for the first time, and Kapoor reveals here that it is actually based upon his very first meeting with Nargis when she was around 16. Kapoor's stardom in the FSU is particularly interesting, and I'm sure many Indians will love to see how their icon is accepted abroad.
The documentary, based on the research of author Bunny Reuben, is very poignant and nostalgic, and at some point, it really tugs at the heartstrings, particularly as we the viewers get to see the old Kapoor reflect upon his own pictures. The combination of Kapoor, the intellectual, worldly man speaking of his career, and the emotional Kapoor in the latter portions of the show, is really quite a feat on the part of the makers of this documentary, who manages to show both sides of this talented, legendary filmmaker. Overall then, this documentary is indeed a tremendous work which gives respect to the man who respected his audiences. I wish it was longer.
