Shree 420
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| Shri 420 | |
|---|---|
 Original poster |
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| Directed by | Raj Kapoor |
| Produced by | Raj Kapoor |
| Written by | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas V.P. Sathe |
| Starring | Raj Kapoor Nargis Nadira |
| Music by | Shankar-Jaikishan |
| Editing by | G.G. Mayekar |
| Release date(s) | 6 September 1955 |
| Running time | 168 min |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Shree 420 (translation: Mr. 420, also transliterated as Shri 420) is a 1955 Bollywood film directed, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor and Nargis. The film centers on Raj, a poor, but educated orphan who comes to Bombay with dreams of success. Kapoor's character is heavily influenced by Charlie Chaplin's "little tramp", much like Kapoor's character in his 1951 Awaara. It was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and the music was composed by the team of Shankar Jaikishan. The lyrics were penned by Shailendra. The song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" ('My shoes are Japanese'), became hugely popular and a patriotic symbol of the newly independent India. It became the highest grossing film of the year. [1]
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Plot [edit]
Shree 420 is the tale of a country boy, Raj (Raj Kapoor), from Allahabad, who travels to the big city, Bombay, by walking, to earn a living. He falls in love with the poor but virtuous Vidya (Nargis), but is soon seduced by the riches of a freewheeling and unethical lifestyle presented to him by an unscrupulous and dishonest businessman, Seth Sonachand Dharmanand (Nemo) and the sultry temptress Maya (Nadira). He eventually becomes a confidence trickster, or "420," who even cheats in card gambling. Vidya tries hard to make Raj a good man but fails.
Meanwhile, Sonachand comes up with another scheme to exploit poor people, whereby he promises permanent homes to them at just Rs. 100. The scheme pays off, as people start hoarding money for a home, even at the cost of other important things. Vidya's contempt for Raj increases even more. Raj becomes wealthy, but soon realizes that he paid a very high price for it. When Raj discovers that Sonachand has no plans to fulfill his promises, he decides to make wrongs right.
Raj takes all the bond papers of the people's homes and tries to flee Sonachand's home, only to be caught by Sonachand and his cronies. In a scuffle that occurs, Sonachand shoots Raj dead. When people hear the shooting, they come and see Raj dead. Sonachand tells police that Raj was trying to flee after stealing money from his safe, hence Sonachand shot him.
Upon this, the 'dead' Raj springs back to life and using pure logic, proves Sonachand's guilt. Sonachand and his partners are arrested, while Vidya happily forgives Raj. The film ends with Raj saying "Yeh 420 nahin, shree 420 hain"(These are not just con men, they are respectable con men).
Star Cast [edit]
- Nargis as Vidya
- Raj Kapoor as Ranbir Raj
- Lalita Pawar as Ganga Mai
- Nadira as Maya
- Nemo as Seth Sonachand Dharmanand
- Iftekhar as Police Inspector (cameo)
Allusions [edit]
The title refers to section 420 of the Indian penal code, where crimes of theft and deception are punished, which relates to the troubles of the main character.
In Sanskrit, the name of the main character, "Vidya", means knowledge and Maya means illusion.
The words "Ramaiya Vastavaiya" in the song by the same name are from Telugu, while the rest of the song and the film are in Hindi.
Reception [edit]
The movie proved to be popular in the Soviet Union and Romania. It was also said that Raj Kapoor was as popular as Nehru in Russia due to the success of the film.
The film grossed over Rs.20 million. This record was beaten 2 years later by Mother India in 1957.
The song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" has become a patriotic favourite among many Indians and is often referenced, including in a recent acceptance speech at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2006 by renown Bengali author Mahasweta Devi.
Sonachand's car license plates are: "BMZ 840". While "BMZ" might resemble a faked "BMW", 840 is obtained by multiplying 420 by 2. That would suggest that Sonachand is a "double" confidence trickster.
Soundtrack [edit]
| # | Title | Singer(s) | Lyricist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwaala" | Manna Dey | Shailendra | 5:36 |
| 2 | "Ichak Dana Beechak Dana" | Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar | Hasrat Jaipuri | 5:08 |
| 3 | "Mera Juta Hai Japani" | Mukesh | Shailendra | 4:33 |
| 4 | "Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh" | Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey | Shailendra | 6:34 |
| 5 | "O Janewale" | Lata Mangeshkar | Hasrat Jaipuri | 2:20 |
| 6 | "Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua" | Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey | Shailendra | 4:22 |
| 7 | "Ramaiya Vastavaiya" | Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh | Shailendra | 6:10 |
| 8 | "Sham Gayi Raat Aayi" | Lata Mangeshkar | Hasrat Jaipuri | 4:00 |
Awards [edit]
- 1956: Filmfare Awards
- Best Cinematographer: Radhoo Karmakar [2]
- Best Editing: G.G. Mayekar
- National Film Awards[3]
References [edit]
- ^ Boxofficeindia.com, retrieved October 27, 2012
- ^ Filmfare Nominees and Winners
- ^ 3rd National Film Awards
External links [edit]
- Shree 420 at the Internet Movie Database
- Rediff.com - Classics Revisited: Shree 420
- Shree 420: film analysis at Let's talk about Bollywood
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